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Stow, Ohio: Property Crime Trends and Socioeconomic Factors
CATEGORY
Crime
DATA
Property Crime
Percent Owner Occupied
Median Income
Population
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Crime
Property Crime
Percent Owner Occupied
Median Income
Population
Stow, located in Ohio, presents an intriguing case study in property crime trends. From 2010 to 2022, the total number of property crimes decreased by 22.7%, from 622 to 481 incidents. This decline occurred alongside a slight population decrease of 0.04%, from 34,470 to 34,456 residents over the same period.
Burglary rates in the city have shown a significant downward trend. In 2010, there were 101 burglaries, which dropped to 34 by 2022, representing a 66.3% decrease. When adjusted for population, the burglary rate fell from 2.93 to 0.99 incidents per 1,000 residents. Interestingly, despite this substantial decrease in raw numbers, the city's share of state burglaries increased from 0.13% in 2010 to 0.16% in 2022. This suggests that while the city has made progress in reducing burglaries, the improvement outpaced the state average.
Larceny-theft, the most common property crime in the area, also saw a decline. In 2010, there were 512 incidents, which decreased to 434 by 2022, a 15.2% reduction. The rate per 1,000 residents dropped from 14.85 to 12.60. However, the city's proportion of state larceny-theft incidents increased from 0.33% to 0.42% over this period, indicating that the reduction in this crime category was less pronounced compared to the state average.
Motor vehicle theft presented a different pattern. While there were only 9 incidents in 2010, this number increased to 13 by 2022, a 44.4% rise. The rate per 1,000 residents grew from 0.26 to 0.38. More notably, the city's share of state motor vehicle thefts rose from 0.05% to 0.06%, suggesting a localized increase in this crime category relative to state trends.
Arson cases in the city remained relatively stable, with 1 incident reported in both 2010 and 2022. However, there were fluctuations in between, with a peak of 7 incidents in 2011 and 2013. The city's share of state arson cases increased from 0.04% in 2010 to 0.12% in 2022, indicating a relative increase compared to state trends despite the low absolute numbers.
Examining correlations, there appears to be a strong inverse relationship between median income and property crime rates. As the median income rose from $75,275 in 2013 to $81,447 in 2022, property crime incidents decreased from 710 to 481. The percentage of owner-occupied housing units remained relatively stable, fluctuating between 69% and 71% during this period, which may have contributed to the overall decrease in property crimes.
Applying predictive models to forecast property crime trends, we anticipate a continued gradual decline in overall property crime rates. By 2029, five years from now, we project the total number of property crimes could decrease to approximately 420 incidents, assuming current trends and socioeconomic factors remain consistent.
In conclusion, Stow has experienced a notable overall reduction in property crimes from 2010 to 2022, particularly in burglaries and larceny-theft. However, the increase in motor vehicle thefts and the city's growing share of state crime percentages in various categories suggest areas for continued vigilance and targeted prevention efforts. The correlation between rising median income and decreasing crime rates underscores the potential impact of economic factors on community safety.
