REGIONAL VARIATIONS IN CRIME ACROSS US STATES

Year 2025, Volume: 9 Issue: 1, 1 - 11, 24.03.2025

Fadime İrem Doğan

https://doi.org/10.29228/JORE.39

Abstract

The economics of crime encompasses a broad framework, highlighting the impact of unemployment, poverty, and inequality on criminal behavior. Addressing these issues requires a comprehensive approach that considers not only individuals’ rational choices but also systemic factors contributing to inequality and their potential impact on crime rates. Effective solutions necessitate a thorough understanding of these interrelated factors to enhance social well-being and create environments that mitigate the conditions fostering criminal behavior. This study employs the Spatial Durbin Model (SDM) to examine spatial variations in property crime across US states in 2022. Findings indicate that GDP, minimum wage, and the demographic composition of the prison population significantly influence property crime and are, in turn, shaped by socioeconomic conditions in neighboring states.

Keywords

Crime, spatial analysis, regional economics, spatial Durbin model, unemployment

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