The economic system of Morocco's high plateaus, based on nomadic livestock breeding, has undergone a highly dynamic evolution. Major trends include: the sedentarization of people and urbanization of lifestyles, even though livestock management has become more mobile; a growing competition over territory with wide-ranging informal land appropriations; and the tapping of alternative income sources such as seasonal agricultural labor in Europe. My paper starts from the assumption that, as a consequence of such transformations, old ways of categorizing people are no longer adequate to describe new social realities and should hence be re-examined. Such traditional classifications are mainly related to a family's social position held within the tribal structures, and the number and type of animals they own. Instead, I look for alternative criteria to describe emerging socio-economic groups or strata more accurately. Which elements can highlight ongoing processes of differentiation and polarization or, conversely, of convergence and homogenization? Should the possession of certain items, like cars or TV sets, be understood as a status symbol? Does access to formal institutions and education make a difference? Or is herd size still the prime indicator of wealth and status? In order to answer such questions, I analyze data from a standardized household survey conducted in 2009 among three tribes in the province of Jerada, Morocco. These quantitative insights permit an assessment and discussion of new distinctions among the area's inhabitants.