Corpus Christi is a city located in Jim Wells County, Kleberg County, Nueces County, and San Patricio County Texas. Corpus Christi has a 2024 population of 316,105. It is also the county seat of Nueces County. Corpus Christi is currently declining at a rate of -0.15% annually and its population has decreased by -0.62% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 318,065 in 2020.
The average household income in Corpus Christi is $85,356 with a poverty rate of 17.28%. The median age in Corpus Christi is 35.7 years: 34.8 years for males, and 36.9 years for females.
Corpus Christi is the county seat of Nueces County, Texas, with a large metropolitan area that extends into surrounding Kleberg, San Patricio, and Aransas counties. Corpus Christi is a coastal city in South Texas and the 9th largest city in the state, as well as home to the Port of Corpus Christi, the 5th largest port in the U.S. It's the central city of the three-county Corpus Christi metro area and part of the six-county Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice Combined Statistical Area (CSA).
Corpus Christi was recently ranked as the second least literate city in the United States by Central Connecticut State University.
Corpus Christi's economy is primarily driven by oil and tourism. Popular attractions in the area include the USS Lexington Museum on the Bay, the Texas State Aquarium, North Beach, and the Corpus Christi Botanical Gardens and Nature Center.
Several major movies have been filmed in the city, including Selena (1997) about Corpus Christi native singer Selena, The King (2005), The Open Road (2009), and Pearl Harbor (2001), for which the USS Lexington was part of the set.
Corpus Christi has several high learning institutions, most notably Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi and Del Mar College.
Corpus Christi was the first major city to provide city-wide free Wi-Fi in 2005, although Earthlink later purchased the network and turned into a paid service two years later.
While the explosion of gas and oil activity transformed most of South Texas, Corpus Christi was left mostly unaffected for some time as nearby cities experienced a massive population boom. Corpus Christi has remained chiefly a tourism city, although this has started to change as drillers have begun to migrate closer.
It's estimated that by 2020, the population of Corpus Christi's metropolitan area will reach 460,000 to 485,000.
The tribe that initially settled in the area were known as Karankawa. Numerous explorers came through the area or attempted settlements that were short-lived until Colonel Henry Kinney came in with a partner and built a trading post in 1839. The city of Corpus Christi was incorporated in September 1852.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Corpus Christi was:
Race | Population | Percentage (of total) |
|---|---|---|
| White | 201,083 | 63.27% |
| Two or more races | 81,342 | 25.6% |
| Other race | 13,935 | 4.38% |
| Black or African American | 12,651 | 3.98% |
| Asian | 7,606 | 2.39% |
| Native American | 958 | 0.3% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | 229 | 0.07% |
White
Two or more races
Other race
Black or African American
Asian
Native American
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
Household Type | Count | Average Size | Owner | Renter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All | 117,555 | 2.63 | 57.3 | 42.7 |
| Married | 52,555 | 3.27 | 74 | 26 |
| Non Family | 38,500 | 1.24 | 42.3 | 57.7 |
| Female | 19,244 | 3.47 | 43.9 | 56.1 |
| Male | 7,256 | 3.17 | 50.6 | 49.4 |
3.22
Average Family Size
2.63
Average Household Size
57.3%
Rate of Home Ownership
Married
Male
Female
NonFamily
owner
renter
Male
Female
Education Attained | Count | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 9th to 12th Grade | 18,276 | 8.79% |
| Associates Degree | 19,250 | 9.26% |
| Bachelors Degree | 30,648 | 14.74% |
| Graduate Degree | 17,316 | 8.33% |
| High School Graduate | 59,864 | 28.8% |
| Less Than 9th Grade | 12,960 | 6.24% |
| Some College | 49,542 | 23.83% |
Less Than 9th Grade
9th to 12th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Associates Degree
Bachelors Degree
Graduate Degree
High School Graduation Rate
Bachelors Rate
Race | Total | High School | Bachelors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hispanic | 125,916 | 99,315 | 19,429 |
| White | 66,155 | 62,761 | 22,515 |
| 2+ Races | 49,145 | 39,162 | 8,631 |
| Other Race | 9,282 | 6,552 | 959 |
| Black | 7,912 | 7,164 | 1,710 |
| Asian | 5,256 | 4,720 | 3,144 |
| Native American | 695 | 632 | 241 |
| Islander | 229 | 220 | 10 |
The highest rate of high school graduation is among islander people with a rate of 96.07%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 59.82%.
All
Male
Female
Name | Average | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelors Degree | $59,918 | $70,139 | $55,424 |
| Graduate Degree | $74,032 | $90,199 | $67,261 |
| High School Graduate | $34,627 | $41,586 | $28,407 |
| Less Than 9th Grade | $27,488 | $32,025 | $20,307 |
| Overall | $43,210 | $51,363 | $36,126 |
| Some College | $43,113 | $55,628 | $35,542 |
$43,210
Average Earnings
$51,363
Average Male
$36,126
Average Female
Only English
Spanish
Other Indo-European Languages
Asian and Pacific Island Languages
Other Languages
66.73% of Corpus Christi residents speak only English, while 33.27% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 30.67% of the population.
rate
Name | Total | In Poverty | Poverty Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hispanic | 201,357 | 39,700 | 19.72% |
| Multiple | 79,715 | 17,083 | 21.43% |
| White | 85,772 | 9,566 | 11.15% |
| Black | 11,807 | 3,232 | 27.37% |
| Other | 13,885 | 2,742 | 19.75% |
| Asian | 7,434 | 835 | 11.23% |
| Native | 935 | 212 | 22.67% |
| Islander | 229 | 38 | 16.59% |
17.28%
Overall Poverty Rate
15.53%
Male Poverty Rate
19.03%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Corpus Christi is Black, with 27.37% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Corpus Christi is White, with 11.15% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 3.86%. Among those working part-time, it was 21.7%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 26.18%.
rate
Rate | Poverty |
|---|---|
| Less Than 9th Grade | 26.38% |
| High School | 16.37% |
| Some College | 12.26% |
| Bachelors or Greater | 5.08% |
rate
Rate | Poverty |
|---|---|
| Female Unemployed | 41.44% |
| Male Unemployed | 28.42% |
| Female Employed | 9.32% |
| Male Employed | 6.69% |
Households
Families
MarriedFamilies
NonFamilies
Name | Median | Mean |
|---|---|---|
| Families | $78,428 | $98,074 |
| Households | $64,449 | $85,356 |
| Married Families | $98,477 | $119,733 |
| Non Families | $40,895 | $55,046 |
mean
median
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
44.8%
Overall Marriage Rate
46.0%
Male Marriage Rate
43.5%
Female Marriage Rate
male
female
The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 45-54.
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
Second Gulf War
First Gulf War
Vietnam
Korea
World War II
21,144
Number of Veterans
19,274
Male Veterans
1,870
Female Veterans
War | Veterans |
|---|---|
| Vietnam | 7,054 |
| First Gulf War | 6,929 |
| Second Gulf War | 5,795 |
| Korea | 651 |
| World War II | 170 |
count
Age Group | Veterans |
|---|---|
| 35 to 54 | 6,799 |
| 65 to 74 | 5,077 |
| 75+ | 3,728 |
| 55 to 64 | 3,690 |
| 18 to 34 | 1,850 |
count
Name | Veterans | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| White | 15,499 | 10.03% |
| Hispanic | 9,825 | 6.59% |
| 2+ Races | 3,439 | 5.96% |
| Black | 1,035 | 11.05% |
| Other Race | 771 | 7.08% |
| Asian | 260 | 4.37% |
| Native American | 127 | 15.89% |
| Islander | 13 | 5.68% |
Less Than 9th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Bachelors or Greater
9.19%
Veteran Poverty Rate
28.02%
Veteran Disability Rate
LaborForceParticipation
62.8%
Labor Force Participation
58.5%
Employment Rate
5.6%
Unemployment Rate
LaborForceParticipation
LaborForceParticipation
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
74.08%
Born in Corpus Christi
90.78%
Native Born
9.22%
Foreign Born
5.63%
Non Citizen
3.58%
Naturalized
90.78% of Corpus Christi residents were born in the United States, with 74.08% having been born in Texas. 5.63% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.
Year | Population | Growth | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2029 | 313,655 | -490 | -0.16% |
| 2028 | 314,145 | -490 | -0.16% |
| 2027 | 314,635 | -490 | -0.16% |
| 2026 | 315,125 | -490 | -0.16% |
| 2025 | 315,615 | -490 | -0.16% |
| 2024 | 316,105 | -490 | -0.15% |
| 2023 | 316,595 | 448 | 0.14% |
| 2022 | 316,147 | -1,730 | -0.54% |
| 2021 | 317,877 | -188 | -0.06% |
| 2020 | 318,065 | -8,505 | -2.6% |
| 2019 | 326,570 | 164 | 0.05% |
| 2018 | 326,406 | 791 | 0.24% |
| 2017 | 325,615 | -236 | -0.07% |
| 2016 | 325,851 | 1,141 | 0.35% |
| 2015 | 324,710 | 3,923 | 1.22% |
| 2014 | 320,787 | 3,735 | 1.18% |
| 2013 | 317,052 | 4,664 | 1.49% |
| 2012 | 312,388 | 4,298 | 1.4% |
| 2011 | 308,090 | 2,836 | 0.93% |
| 2010 | 305,254 | 0 | 0% |
| 2000 | 277,454 | 20,001 | 7.77% |
| 1990 | 257,453 | 25,319 | 10.91% |
| 1980 | 232,134 | 27,609 | 13.5% |
| 1970 | 204,525 | 36,835 | 21.97% |
| 1960 | 167,690 | 59,403 | 54.86% |
| 1950 | 108,287 | 50,986 | 88.98% |
| 1940 | 57,301 | 29,560 | 106.56% |
| 1930 | 27,741 | 17,219 | 163.65% |
| 1920 | 10,522 | 2,300 | 27.97% |
| 1910 | 8,222 | 3,519 | 74.82% |
| 1900 | 4,703 | 316 | 7.2% |
| 1890 | 4,387 | 1,130 | 34.69% |
| 1880 | 3,257 | 1,157 | 55.1% |
| 1870 | 2,100 | 1,900 | 950% |
| 1860 | 200 | -313,455 | -99.94% |