Nueces County, Texas

Nueces County
Nueces County
County
	The Nueces County Courthouse in Corpus Christi
	Seal
	Location within the U.S. state of Texas
	Texas's location within the U.S.
	Coordinates: 27°44′N 97°31′W / 27.74°N 97.52°W
Country	United States
State	Texas
Founded	1847
Named for	Nueces River
Seat	Corpus Christi
Largest city	Corpus Christi
Area
• Total	1,166 sq mi (3,020 km2)
• Land	838 sq mi (2,170 km2)
• Water	327 sq mi (850 km2) 28%
Population (2020)
• Total	353,178
• Density	300/sq mi (120/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	27th
Website	www.co.nueces.tx.us

Nueces County (/njuˈeɪsɪs/ new-AY-siss) is located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 353,178,^[1] making it the 16th-most populous county in the state. The county seat is Corpus Christi.^[2] The county was formed in 1846 from portions of San Patricio County and organized the following year.^[3] It is named for the Nueces River, which marks the county's northwestern boundary with San Patricio County before emptying into its mouth at Nueces Bay north of the port of Corpus Christi. Nueces County is part of the Corpus Christi metropolitan statistical area.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of 1,166 square miles (3,020 km²), of which 838 square miles (2,170 km²) are land and 327 square miles (850 km²) (28%) are covered by water.^[4] It borders the Gulf of Mexico.

Major highways

Adjacent counties

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1850	698	—
1860	2,906	316.3%
1870	3,975	36.8%
1880	7,673	93.0%
1890	8,093	5.5%
1900	10,439	29.0%
1910	21,955	110.3%
1920	22,807	3.9%
1930	51,779	127.0%
1940	92,661	79.0%
1950	165,471	78.6%
1960	221,573	33.9%
1970	237,544	7.2%
1980	268,215	12.9%
1990	291,145	8.5%
2000	313,645	7.7%
2010	340,223	8.5%
2020	353,178	3.8%
U.S. Decennial Census^[5] 1850–2010^[6] 2010^[7] 2020^[8]

**Nueces County, Texas – demographic profile**
(*NH = Non-Hispanic*)
Race / ethnicity	Pop 2010^[7]	Pop 2020^[8]	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	111,870	106,165	32.88%	30.06%
Black or African American alone (NH)	12,178	12,651	3.58%	3.58%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	882	907	0.26%	0.26%
Asian alone (NH)	5,495	7,712	1.62%	2.18%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	209	281	0.06%	0.08%
Some Other Race alone (NH)	399	1,264	0.12%	0.36%
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH)	2,897	7,146	0.85%	2.02%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	206,293	217,052	60.63%	61.46%
Total	340,223	353,178	100.00%	100.00%

Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.

As of the census^[9] of 2000, 313,645 people, 110,365 households, and 79,683 families resided in the county. The population density was 375 people per square mile (145 people/km²). The 123,041 housing units averaged 147 units per square mile (57/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 72.03% White, 4.24% African American, 0.64% Native American, 1.16% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 18.74% from other races, and 3.13% from two or more races. About 55.78% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Of the 110,365 households, 36.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.80% were married couples living together, 15.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.80% were not families. About 22.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.79 and the average family size was 3.30.

In the county, the age distribution was 28.40% under the age of 18, 10.50% from 18 to 24, 28.90% from 25 to 44, 21.10% from 45 to 64, and 11.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.50 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $35,959, and for a family was $41,066. Males had a median income of $31,571 versus $22,324 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,036. About 14.70% of families and 18.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.00% of those under age 18 and 15.80% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Cities (multiple counties)

Aransas Pass (partly in San Patricio and Aransas Counties)
Corpus Christi (county seat) (San Patricio and Aransas Counties)
Ingleside (mostly in San Patricio County)
Portland (mostly in San Patricio County)

In the 2000 U.S. Census, a portion of San Patricio was indicated as being in Nueces County.^[10] As of the 1990 U.S. Census, the 2010 U.S. Census, and the 2020 U.S. Census, that particular area is indicated as being in San Patricio County.^[11]^[12]^[13]

Cities

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

Education

School districts:

Del Mar College is the designated community college for all of Nueces County.^[14]

Politics

**Past gubernatorial election results**^[15]
Year	Republican	Democratic	Third Parties
2018	56.33% 52,918	42.28% 39,720	1.40% 1,312
2014	54.13% 30,854	43.41% 24,746	2.46% 1,403
2010	52.68% 32,593	45.13% 27,921	2.16% 1,341
2006	37.07% 25,066	30.95% 20,931	31.97% 21,624
2002	48.16% 33,152	49.39% 34,001	2.37% 1,627
1998	60.80% 38,165	38.70% 24,290	0.50% 316
1994	44.52% 31,116	54.94% 38,399	0.54% 376

Historically, Nueces County leaned Democratic in presidential elections, though in recent years has narrowly voted Republican. Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956 became the first Republican candidate to carry the county. Prior to that year, the only times Nueces County did not vote for the national Democratic candidate was in its first presidential election in 1848 for Whig Zachary Taylor, and in 1860, supporting Southern Democratic John C. Breckinridge. Since Eisenhower's election, the only other Republicans to carry the county in the 20th century were Richard Nixon in 1972 and Ronald Reagan in 1984. So far, Bill Clinton remains the last Democratic candidate to win Nueces County, having done so in 1996.

Since 2000, Nueces County has voted for every Republican presidential candidate, with only George W. Bush in 2004 having carried it by a double digit margin, and his 56.8% of the vote is also the highest for any Republican in the county's history. In 2016, Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton in the county with a plurality of 48.6% to 47.1%, or 1,568 votes, the closest race since 1956. In 2020, Trump won the county again, this time with a slight majority and 2.9% margin, or 3,692 votes, over Joe Biden.

Democratic strength is concentrated within the inland portion of the county, with particular strengths in center portion of Corpus Christi whereas neighborhoods that are predominately Hispanic and the city of Robstown. Republicans performed well in areas particularly in the suburbs of the city, North Padre Island and Port Aransas.^[16]

United States presidential election results for Nueces County, Texas^[17]
Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party
Year	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	64,617	50.75%	60,925	47.85%	1,780	1.40%
2016	50,766	48.62%	49,198	47.12%	4,441	4.25%
2012	48,966	50.95%	45,772	47.63%	1,366	1.42%
2008	52,391	51.75%	47,912	47.33%	927	0.92%
2004	59,359	56.77%	44,439	42.50%	762	0.73%
2000	49,906	51.28%	45,349	46.59%	2,071	2.13%
1996	37,470	40.22%	50,009	53.68%	5,689	6.11%
1992	36,781	36.49%	46,317	45.95%	17,693	17.55%
1988	46,337	48.30%	49,209	51.30%	386	0.40%
1984	54,333	53.68%	46,721	46.16%	159	0.16%
1980	40,586	46.84%	43,424	50.12%	2,634	3.04%
1976	32,797	37.99%	52,755	61.11%	773	0.90%
1972	41,682	55.39%	33,277	44.22%	291	0.39%
1968	21,307	31.57%	39,025	57.82%	7,159	10.61%
1964	14,048	25.75%	40,426	74.10%	84	0.15%
1960	18,907	39.09%	29,361	60.70%	100	0.21%
1956	19,985	49.89%	19,912	49.71%	162	0.40%
1952	19,124	48.59%	20,156	51.21%	79	0.20%
1948	5,577	25.60%	15,240	69.96%	966	4.43%
1944	3,819	24.21%	11,091	70.32%	863	5.47%
1940	3,065	23.87%	9,740	75.84%	37	0.29%
1936	1,234	15.54%	6,597	83.09%	109	1.37%
1932	967	12.62%	6,659	86.91%	36	0.47%
1928	2,481	45.36%	2,985	54.58%	3	0.05%
1920	383	21.55%	1,246	70.12%	148	8.33%
1916	404	16.85%	1,830	76.35%	163	6.80%
1912	85	6.50%	910	69.63%	312	23.87%