Correlation Analysis Between Nighttime Light Data and Socioeconomic Factors on Fine Scales

Nighttime light (NTL) radiance can reflect human settlements and activities. A lot of studies indicate that NTL brightness can be a sound proxy of socioeconomic factors on large scales, such as the population size, gross domestic product, electric power consumption, etc. However, few studies have been dedicated to these topics on fine scales. In this study, we examined the correlation between the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership-Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (S-NPP/VIIRS) NTL intensity (NLI) and population density, as well that between NLI and per capita income at two census units’ levels, census tract and block group, in two research areas. The result shows that the NLI has a moderate or weak positive correlation with the population density at both scales. However, when land use type is integrated with population density, the correlation becomes very strong. The NLI and per capita income have a weak or very weak negative correlation at both scales. Moreover, we find that the correlation coefficient is positively correlated with the unit’s size. The larger scale also has a higher correlation coefficient. The research conducted here could be beneficial for the application of S-NPP/VIIRS NTL data in studying socioeconomic activities in human settlement areas.