Local Moran's I statistic

Local Moran's I is a statistical tool used to identify areas where similar values cluster or vary in a geographic region. It measures how a specific location's data (like income, disease rates, or pollution levels) relates to its neighboring areas. A high positive value indicates that a location has similar, high or low values as its neighbors—forming a cluster—while a negative value suggests it differs from surrounding areas, forming a spatial outlier. This helps researchers detect localized patterns and hotspots, offering insights into spatial relationships within the data.