# NCOVR US County Homicides

## Data provided "as is," no warranties

## Description

Homicides and selected socio-economic characteristics for continental U.S. counties. Data for four decennial census years: 1960, 1970, 1980, 1990.

Type = polygon shape file, unprojected, lat-lon

Observations = 3085

Variables = 69

## Source

S. Messner, L. Anselin, D. Hawkins, G. Deane, S. Tolnay, R. Baller (2000). An Atlas of the Spatial Patterning of County-Level Homicide, 1960-1990. Pittsburgh, PA, National Consortium on Violence Research (NCOVR).

Reference: Baller, R., L. Anselin, S. Messner, G. Deane and D. Hawkins (2001). Structural covariates of US county homicide rates: incorporating spatial effects. Criminology 39, 561-590.

## Variables

Variable | Description
--- | ---
NAME | county name
STATE_NAME | state name
STATE_FIPS | state fips code (character)
CNTY_FIPS | county fips code (character)
FIPS | combined state and county fips code (character)
STFIPS | state fips code (numeric)
COFIPS | county fips code (numeric)
FIPSNO | fips code as numeric variable
SOUTH | dummy variable for Southern counties (South = 1)
HR** | homicide rate per 100,000 (1960, 1970, 1980, 1990)
HC** | homicide count, three year average centered on 1960, 1970, 1980, 1990
PO** | county population, 1960, 1970, 1980, 1990
RD** | resource deprivation 1960, 1970, 1980, 1990 (principal component, see Codebook for details)
PS** | population structure 1960, 1970, 1980, 1990 (principal component, see Codebook for details)
UE** | unemployment rate 1960, 1970, 1980, 1990
DV** | divorce rate 1960, 1970, 1980, 1990 (% males over 14 divorced)
MA** | median age 1960, 1970, 1980, 1990
POL** | log of population 1960, 1970, 1980, 1990
DNL** | log of population density 1960, 1970, 1980, 1990
MFIL** | log of median family income 1960, 1970, 1980, 1990
FP** | % families below poverty 1960, 1970, 1980, 1990 (see Codebook for details)
BLK** | % black 1960, 1970, 1980, 1990
GI** | Gini index of family income inequality 1960, 1970, 1980, 1990
FH** | % female headed households 1960, 1970, 1980, 1990

Prepared by Luc Anselin

UIUC-ACE Spatial Analysis Laboratory

Last updated October 4, 2003