Income equality and crime rates in New York State: a county-level empirical analysis

Abstract

This study examines and evaluates the connection between crime rates in 14 New York State counties and income inequality, which is measured in this study using the GINI coefficient. Using county-level crime statistics (data.census.com) and data from the American Community Survey, this study uses regression modeling and scatterplots to investigate relationships between various forms of crime and wealth disparity. This covers crimes involving firearms, violent criminality, and property crime. The results indicate that rising violent crime rates are strongly positively correlated with larger GINI coefficients (R-squared = 0.394), whilst property crime rates are less strongly correlated (R-squared = 0.225). These results agree with the existing works, which also prove the link between inequality and crime across diverse socio-economic contexts. The paper argues that higher income inequality strengthens social tension, resulting in higher level of violent crime like the Bronx County. The findings suggest that policymakers should consider income inequality through targeted social interventions and economic reforms to reduce crime rates. Future research may focus on longitudinal studies to assess how shifts in income inequality over time influence crime dynamics.