Microenterprise has gained attention as a strategy to promote economic well-being among the poor, but there is relatively little research to suggest whether microenterprise programs work. This study uses existing data to compare three groups: low-income microentrepreneurs who participated in one of seven U.S. microenterprise assistance programs, low-income self-employed workers not attached to microenterprise assistance programs, and low-income wage workers not self-employed. Analyses of household income and poverty status over time fail to suggest that microenterprise programs make significant gains for participants.