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.

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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
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

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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.

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.

School districts:

• Agua Dulce Independent School District
• Aransas Pass Independent School District
• Banquete Independent School District
• Bishop Consolidated Independent School District
• Calallen Independent School District
• Corpus Christi Independent School District
• Driscoll Independent School District
• Flour Bluff Independent School District
• London Independent School District
• Port Aransas Independent School District
• Robstown Independent School District
• Tuloso-Midway Independent School District
• West Oso Independent School District

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

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]

• 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