This study is conducted in ethnic plateau of Deqin County of Yunnan Province, China, to understand the multidimensional poverty status using the Alkire–Foster Method with contextualized indicators linked to the dimensions of Education, Health, Living Conditions, Assets, and Social Relations. Using data gathered from 647 households in eight townships, the multidimensional poverty index (MPI) is calculated. Generally, Assets and Living Conditions are the two dimensions lacking in most households. This research takes the perception of the household into account, and compares the MPI results with the household self-assessment results.