Analyzing New York State's Crime, Health, and Education Data Using a Tableau Dashboard

In today’s world, data serves as a powerful tool in identifying trends and making informed decisions. The visualization of complex datasets allows us to distill vast amounts of information into meaningful insights. This is precisely what I aimed to achieve with the Tableau dashboard created from publicly available data, which offers a comprehensive analysis of New York State’s crime rates, healthcare facilities, and education enrollment statistics. The data used in this dashboard has been sourced from New York State’s Open Data Portal, where a wealth of information about crime, health, and educational institutions can be explored.

Purpose of the Dashboard

The main goal of the dashboard is to provide a multi-faceted view of vital trends in crime, health, and education across New York State. By incorporating different types of visualizations—ranging from county-level crime statistics to mental health claims by county, university enrollment figures, and healthcare ownership structures—the dashboard gives a holistic understanding of these key sectors. Policymakers, students, public health officials, and even citizens can use this data to make more informed decisions.

In this post, we will walk through the key insights derived from the dashboard visualizations and explore how each section offers valuable information.

Have a look at the dashboard by clicking on the image:

Insights from the Visualizations

1. New York State Map: Population Density

The map displays the population density across counties in New York State. Higher density areas are visually represented in darker shades, helping the viewer quickly assess which regions are most populated. This insight can be valuable for understanding where resources like healthcare and educational facilities may need to be more concentrated.

2. County's With Most Crime

The bar chart breaks down crime rates by county and by crime type. For instance, Bronx, Kings, and New York counties show the highest levels of crime involving firearms. By including a dropdown option for different types of crimes, the viewer can filter the data to focus on violent crimes, property crimes, or other categories. This is particularly useful for law enforcement agencies, city planners, or local governments to allocate resources and plan crime prevention strategies accordingly.

3. Graduate/Undergraduate Program Enrollment

This section shows the breakdown of student enrollment in graduate and undergraduate programs across various types of institutions, including community colleges, comprehensive institutions, doctoral programs, and technology-focused schools. The data reveals that undergraduate enrollment far exceeds graduate enrollment in most types of institutions, particularly in community and comprehensive colleges. This insight helps educational administrators and policymakers understand where student demand lies and which sectors may need further investment.

4. Mental Health Claims by County

This stacked bar chart depicts the distribution of mental health claims by county and age group (adult vs. child). New York and Kings counties lead in terms of total claims, which can indicate areas with higher demand for mental health services. This insight helps public health officials identify where mental health resources are most needed and whether there are disparities between adult and child mental health care access.

5. Most Enrolled Campuses

The most enrolled campuses in New York are visualized in a treemap, with Buffalo University, Stony Brook, and Binghamton standing out as having the largest student bodies. This visualization provides a quick overview for prospective students or education planners looking at higher education trends in New York State.

6. Health Facility Ownership

The pie chart categorizes healthcare facilities based on their ownership structures, including business corporations, partnerships, and not-for-profit organizations. It reveals that a significant portion of healthcare facilities are owned by not-for-profit organizations, which can provide insights into how healthcare is managed across the state. This could be valuable for investors, healthcare professionals, and regulators looking to understand healthcare governance in the state.

7. Adult Care Classification

This line graph shows how adult care claim amounts have fluctuated over the years, with a marked decline from 2010 to 2016. At the same time, the number of care facilities has shown a consistent decrease. These trends could indicate shifts in policy, changing demographics, or technological advancements in adult care. Health planners and policymakers could use this insight to investigate the reasons behind these changes and forecast future needs.

Conclusion

The dashboard provides a comprehensive view of several critical areas affecting the well-being and development of New York State residents. By visualizing trends in crime, health, and education, this data allows stakeholders to identify pressing issues and potential areas for policy improvement. The use of interactive visualizations ensures that users can engage with the data dynamically, making it a powerful tool for decision-making across various sectors.

Feel free to explore the full Tableau dashboard above and dive deeper into the data that shapes New York State’s future.