This study examines the asset and income pattern of poor ethnic minorities in Northern Mountains of Vietnam using data from a 2010 Northern Mountain Baseline Survey (NMBS) of the Second Northern Mountains Poverty Reduction Project and Vietnam Household Living Standard Survey (VHLSS) 2010. The poor ethnic minorities in Northern Mountains have lower assets and income than ethnic minorities in other regions. Their income is mainly from crops and livestock. Compared with Kinh/Hoa and ethnic minorities in other regions, poor ethnic minorities in Northern Mountain have substantially lower income from wages and non-farm activities. The difference in the income gap between Northern Mountain ethnic minorities and other households is mainly explained by the gap in wages and non-farm income. Northern Mountain ethnic minorities spend less time on wages and non-farm employment. Compared with other households, their non-farm income per working hours and also farm income per working hours is substantially lower.