A Spatial Analysis of Disposable Income in Ireland: A GWR Approach

The essentials

• The paper "A Spatial Analysis of Disposable Income in Ireland: A GWR Approach" explores the spatial distribution of income in Ireland.
• Median gross household disposable income data from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) at the Electoral Division (ED) level is used to explore the spatial variability in income.
• Geary's C highlights the spatial dependence of income, indicating that income distribution is not random across space and is influenced by location.
• Using a global Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression will lead to biased results due to spatial autocorrelation.
• Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) is used to examine the spatial heterogeneity of income and the impact of local demographic drivers on it.
• Demographic drivers have varying levels of influence on income across locations, with lone parent having a stronger negative impact in the Cork commuter belt than it does in the Dublin commuter belt.
• The relationship between household income and the demographic context of an area is complicated, and this paper attempts to examine these relationships while acknowledging the impact of space.
• This study provides valuable insights into how different factors affect household incomes across different regions in Ireland.
• By using a GWR approach instead of a global OLS regression, Kilgarriff and Charlton are able to account for spatial autocorrelation and provide more accurate estimates for how demographics impact incomes at a local level.
• This research can inform policymakers' decisions regarding regional economic development policies aimed at reducing disparities in household incomes across Ireland's various regions.

Key points written by AI: they may contain errors, check them against the paper.