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, making it the 16th-most populous county in the state. The county seat is Corpus Christi. The county was formed in 1846 from portions of San Patricio County and organized the following year. 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.

The Indian tribes that lived in and raided the county were the Lipan Apache, Karankawa, Coahuiltecan, Kickapoo, and the Seminole. The final recorded Indian raid in the county happened in April of 1878, when Lipan Apache, Kickapoo, Seminole, Mexicans, and a white man briefly entered the county and onto ranches, before returning west to Laredo.

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

• San Patricio County (north)
• Kleberg County (south)
• Jim Wells County (west)
• Aransas County (northeast)

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
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 1850–2010 2010 2020

Nueces County, Texas – Racial and ethnic composition
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 may be of any race.

Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 2000	Pop 2010	Pop 2020	% 2000	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	118,178	111,870	106,165	37.68%	32.88%	30.06%
Black or African American alone (NH)	12,718	12,178	12,651	4.05%	3.58%	3.58%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	933	882	907	0.30%	0.26%	0.26%
Asian alone (NH)	3,458	5,495	7,712	1.10%	1.62%	2.18%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	136	209	281	0.04%	0.06%	0.08%
Other Race alone (NH)	308	399	1,264	0.10%	0.12%	0.36%
Mixed Race or Multiracial (NH)	2,963	2,897	7,146	0.94%	0.85%	2.02%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	174,951	206,293	217,052	55.78%	60.63%	61.46%
Total	313,645	340,223	353,178	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

As of the census 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/km). The 123,041 housing units averaged 147 units per square mile (57/km). 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.

• 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. 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.

• Chapman Ranch
• Rabb
• Violet

School districts:

Del Mar College is the designated community college for all of Nueces County.

Past gubernatorial election results

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.

United States presidential election results for Nueces County, Texas

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	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%

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Nueces County, Texas
• Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks in Nueces County
• List of museums in the Texas Gulf Coast
• Nueces County Keach Family Library

• Nueces County government's website
• Nueces County in Handbook of Texas Online at the University of Texas
• Historic Nueces County materials, hosted by the Portal to Texas History.

27°44′N 97°31′W / 27.74°N 97.52°W / 27.74; -97.52