What does this measure?

The number of reports of domestic violence per 10,000 residents.

Why is this important?

Domestic violence has unique negative effects on victims and families. Domestic violence can cause serious and permanent emotional and psychological damage, which hurts one's quality of life and ability to contribute to society and perform at work.

How is our region performing?

In 2023, there were 36 reports of domestic violence per 10,000 residents in the Mid-Hudson Valley region, below the state (excluding NYC) rate of 47. The rate of reported domestic violence in the region has decreased 6% since 2010, compared to an 2% decline at the state level. From 2022 to 2023, domestic violence rates grew in all counties except for Columbia and Orange.

The village of Goshen (106) in Greene County, village of Liberty(105) in Sullivan County and the cities of Newburgh (226), Port Jervis (163), and Middletown (88) from Orange County had the highest rates of domestic violence in the region in 2023.

Notes about the data

The definition of domestic violence was significantly changed in 2008, making data from earlier years not comparable. The definition was expanded to include same-sex couples, ex-spouses and boyfriends/girlfriends. In addition, it was narrowed to exclude more specifically nonviolent incidents between partners.

As a rule, domestic violence tends to be underreported, and there are many inconsistencies in the data. In addition, reporting may be influenced by factors such as public education, outreach efforts and media stories. Comparable national data were not available.