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Copyright 2014, City of Corpus Christi, Texas: All Rights Reserved

NUECES COUNTY DATA

PROFILE:

SELECTED DEMOGRAPHIC,

HEALTH, SOCIAL, ECONOMIC,

HOUSING, AND EDUCATIONAL

CHARACTERISTICS

Philip W. Rhoades, Ph.D.

Lilo Burda, MS and

Ryan Hatfield

Social Science Research Center

January 20, 2014


NUECES COUNTY DATA PROFILE: SELECTED DEMOGRAPHIC, HEALTH, SOCIAL, ECONOMIC,

HOUSING, AND EDUCATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS

Authors

Philip W. Rhoades, Ph.D.

Lilo Burda, MS and

Ryan Hatfield

2014

This report has been produced for the Corpus Christi Commission on Children and Youth by the

Social Science Research Center at Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi. Funding was

provided through a contract with the City of Corpus Christi.

All or portions of this report may be duplicated in support of public education, grant writing or

planning efforts, if citation is made of sources: The Social Science Research Center, Texas

A&M University – Corpus Christi and the City of Corpus Christi.


Table of Contents

Introduction . . . . . . . . 1

1. Demographic Characteristics . . . . 2

2. Health Characteristics . . . . . 3

3. Social Characteristics . . . . . 8

4. Economic Characteristics . . . . 10

5. Housing Characteristics . . . . . 14

6. Educational Characteristics . . . . 15

1


NUECES COUNTY DATA PROFILE

INTRODUCTION

This report is a companion piece with the Nueces County Juvenile Delinquency Risk Factor

Data and Trend Analysis (2013) report. It expands the data and analysis available beyond the

indicators that have been demonstrated through research to relate to juvenile delinquency. The

indicators provided here offer information useful in planning, program design, and grant writing in

areas not necessarily connected to the issues of crime and delinquency. The original set of

indicators upon which the data set is based and an older report similar in structure to this one were

produced for the Coastal Bend Workforce Development Board doing business at the time as Work-

Force 1. The Corpus Christi Commission for Children and Youth reviewed the original set of

indicators, made few modifications, and instructed the Social Science Research Center to create a

data file and report as part of this CCY Data Collection Project.

The data indicators collected are divided into the topical headings listed below:

Demographic Characteristics

Health Characteristics

Social Characteristics

Economic Characteristics Housing Characteristics, and

Educational Characteristics.

Where possible, data were collected through 2012. The data for independent school districts

begin with the 1999 academic year. Data were available for many indicators through 2010 and for

some 2012 data are present. Health data collected from Vital Statistics end in 2010 as newer data

files are not yet complete.

The following text contains graphics that have been imported from the Delinquency Risk

Factors Data Indicators Graphics File (2013) that is part of this set of reports, fact sheets, and data

files. The images inserted here may have been created in a way that does not permit manipulation of

the image if it is copied and placed in another document. Most of the images in the Graphics File

may be manipulated by the user. Graphics have not been produced for all of the data indicators.

Throughout this report, comparisons are made to the State of Texas as a whole. Trends in

the County data are described where appropriate. For greater detail, the reader may wish to examine

the supporting data file. References are made to data and analysis found in the Risk Factor report.

For the most part, text found there has not been repeated in this report. Brief conclusions for

sections have been provided. However, with the diversity of the data indicators, a summary of the

entire report is not present.

2


49.4 49.1 48.6 49.250.6 50.9 51.4 50.8

21.9 21.6 22.0 21.4

77.4 74.1 75.0 74.6

12.1 12.0 12.7 12.6

0.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

60.0

70.0

80.0

90.0

2009 2010 2011 2012

Pe

rce

nt

of

Tota

l Po

pu

lati

on

Gender and Age Distribution In Nueces County

Male (%) Female (%) 14 & under (%) 18 & over (%) 65+ years (%)

310,000

320,000

330,000

340,000

350,000

2009 2010 2011 2012

323,046

340,223343,281

347,691

nu

be

r co

un

t o

f p

op

ula

tio

n

Total Population: County

1. Demographic Characteristics

Some considerable variation in population

figures for Nueces County have been found.

The U.S. Census has varying numbers for

populations from 2009 through 2012. These

are all different from the ones found from

the Texas State Demographer. The figures

here and in the data file are from the

American Fact Finder after a search for

population estimates for the County. The

County reportedly grew 8.47% from the

2000 to the 2010 census. The 2010 to 2012

County growth has been 2.2%. When one

looks at the 2000 to 2012 time period, one

finds a growth of 12.9%. The County’s

growth has been much slower than the State’s growth. The Texas population growth from 2000 to

2010 was 20.6%. The State grew 3.6% from 2010 to 2012. Thus, other parts of the State are

growing at a much faster pace than Nueces County.

Population: Using the Census data, the 2012 population estimate for Nueces County was

347,691. The majority of that population was located in the City of Corpus Christi with a 2012

population reported at 312,195. Nueces County is the largest county in a three county area

(Nueces, San Patricio, and Aransas) which is known as the Corpus Christi Metropolitan Statistical

Area with a population of 425,814 in 2012.

The Nueces County

population in 2012 was

50.8% female just

slightly above the figure

for Texas at 50.4%.

This slight difference

has been present for

several years.

When one compares the

age distribution between

the State and County,

only slight differences

are found in the age

groups. Nueces County

has consistently had

about 1% fewer children in the 14 and under category and about 2% more in the 65 and older

category. The 2012 population estimates for Texas indicate 22.4% of the population in the 14 and

under group and only 10.6% in the 65 and older group. The larger 65 and older category means that

the 18 and older category in Nueces County is about 2% larger than that for Texas.

Race/Ethnicity: The County has a larger proportion of its population that is Hispanic than

the State as a whole. Both the Hispanic and the White, non-Hispanic segments of the County

3


33.442.0

61.9

40.0

6.412.0

2.67.0

0.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

60.0

70.0

County State

Pe

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nt

of

Po

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lati

on

Ethnicity Distribution Comparison For Texas and Nueces County 2012

White, Non-Hispanic Hispanic African-American Other

31.9 32.5 32.3 33.4

59.8 60.6 61.2 61.9

4.8 4.5 3.6 6.45.3 4.5 4.22.6

0.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

60.0

70.0

2009 2010 2011 2012

Pe

rce

nt

of

Po

pu

lati

on

Ethnicity In Nueces County

White, Non-Hispanic Hispanic

African-American Other

population have been growing over the past 4 years. However, the Hispanic population remains

almost 30 percentage points larger than the White non-Hispanic segment. As a segment of the

population, some small growth in the African-American population in the County occurred for

2012. The Other category that sums the Asian, American Indian, Alaskan Native, and people of two

or more races appears to be shrinking as a proportion of the County population.

In comparison to the

State of Texas, Nueces

County is significantly

more Hispanic. The

State population

proportion that was

Hispanic has grown

from 36.4% in 2009 to

40% in 2012 with a

corresponding decline in

the proportion of the

population that is White

non-Hispanic. Also, in

Texas, the African-

American proportion of

the population has

increased slightly over the same time period while the Other category has declined.

In

comparison, Nueces

County’s Hispanic

population segment

was 21.9 percentage

points larger than that

for the State as can be

seen on the chart for

2012. The County

population segment

for African-

Americans is only

6.4% compared to

12% for the State and

the Other segment for

the County is only 2.6% compared to 7% for the State. Overall, the County reflects considerably

less ethnic diversity than the State as a whole.

2. Health Characteristics

When examining the overall health issues of death, causes of death, infant mortality, low

birth weight, sexually transmitted diseases, and disability, Nueces County has higher rates than the

State, indicating that health problems are a significant issue in the County. For most indicators, the

latest data available was 2012. Some Vital Statistics data sets are not yet complete beyond 2010.

4


75.2178.02

76.86

65.75 65.43 65.29

55

60

65

70

75

80

2010 2011 2012

Rat

e p

er

10

,00

0

Overall Death Rates

Nueces State

1.64

20.90

17.70

4.93

4.3

3.7

1.30

1.14

19.20

14.58

2.49

4.11

3.64

1.15

0.00 5.00 10.00 15.00 20.00 25.00

Causes Of Death 2010 (rate per 10,000)

State Nueces

Cerebrovascular diseases

Suicide

Chronic lower respiratory diseases Diabetes

Malignant neoplasms

Major cardiovascular diseases

Chronic liver disease & cirrhosis

Overall death rates: In

2012, the overall death rate for the

State was 65.29 per 10,000 of the

population. In Nueces County, the

rate at 76.86 per 10,000 of the

population was much higher than

the State’s. The County death rate

has declined from a high in 2000 of

82.34. The difference between the

County and the State rates has been

present at least since 2007 when the

data collection effort first recorded

State data for this report.

Causes of Death: Some of

the most common causes of death for the County include major cardiovascular diseases, malignant

neoplasms (cancer), cerebrovascular diseases, chronic lower respiratory diseases, diabetes mellitus,

and chronic liver disease and cirrhosis. The County’s death rates have been higher than the State’s

for all of these causes of death for years. This is displayed on the following chart for 2010, the

most current year for which these data are available.

The most striking difference is the County’s diabetes death rate, which has been double the State’s

rate for years. The highest numbers of death cases are in the age group of 45 to 54 for almost all

diseases, but the major leading cause of death in that age group is Coronary Heart Disease. The

average life expectancy for the County is currently 78 to 79 years of age.

Obesity: This report presents the most recent estimates of obesity based on measured

weight and height, meaning people are considered obese when their body mass index (BMI), a

measurement obtained by dividing a person's weight in kilograms by the square of the person's

height in meters, exceeds 30 kg/m2. Obesity-related conditions include heart disease, stroke, type 2

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metres

5


20.0 19.819.1

17.0 17.3 17.2 17.6 17.716.8 16.4

0.0

5.0

10.0

15.0

20.0

25.0

0

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Texas HIV/AIDS Infection Cases and Case Rates by Year of Diagnosis, 2003-2012

Cases Case Rate

RateCases

diabetes and certain types of cancer, some of the leading causes of preventable death. According to

the Texas Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System for 2010, the percent at risk for obesity

(BMI 30 or greater) among adults 18 and over in the Public Health Administrative Region 11,

which includes Nueces County, was 35.1%. The percent at risk for obesity in the State and Nation

were 31.8% and 28.9%, respectively. Risks are higher for specific groups with Males at 36.3%,

Hispanics at 38.8%, those 30-44 years at 41.5% and those earning less than $25,000 at 40.7%. It

may be assumed that the percent at risk for obesity in the County is similar to the Region’s. Obesity

is a significant risk factor for Type II diabetes and various heart diseases that are problematic in the

County. Non-Hispanic blacks have the highest age-adjusted rates of obesity (49.5%) compared with

Mexican Americans (40.4%), all Hispanics (39.1%) and non-Hispanic whites (34.3%). More than

one-third of U.S. adults (35.7%) are obese.

The estimated annual medical cost of obesity in the U.S. was $147 billion in 2008 U.S.

dollars. The medical costs for people who are obese were $1,429 higher than those of normal

weight. Higher prevalences of adult obesity were found in the Midwest (29.5%) and the South

(29.4%). Lower prevalence’s were observed in the Northeast (25.3%) and the West (25.1%). Texas

self-reports 29.2 % of individuals are obese, that is almost 1 out of 3 individuals. The CDC (Center

for Disease Control) reports obesity at 31 %.

Among non-Hispanic black and Mexican-American men, those with higher incomes are

more likely to be obese than those with lower income. Higher income women are less likely to be

obese than low-income women. There is no significant relationship between obesity and education

among men. Among women, however, there is a trend—those with college degrees are less likely to

be obese compared with less educated women. In recent years, the prevalence of obesity increased

in adults at all income and education levels and from 2009–2011 the percentage rose to an alarming

35.7% of U.S. adults that were obese. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys

(NHANES) conducted from were used for these analyses.

Sexually Transmitted

Diseases: The source for all

HIV/AIDS data is the Texas

Department of State Health

Services. In 2012, the County

had a significantly lower rate of

HIV and AIDS cases than the

State. For clarity, two charts are

provided, one for the State and

one for Nueces County. In the

State, highest risk groups are

ages 15 to 24. The diagnosis of

actual infection shows that most

are diagnosed in the age group

of 35 to 44 years of age. HIV

and AIDS show the greatest

concentrations in the State’s

largest cities. In the State, the rate of new diagnoses has declined over the 2003 to 2012 time period.

The number of new cases has remained relatively stable with some small decline.

6


35

28

2427

29 28

2118

20

11

1719

11.28.9 7.6 8.4

8.9 8.5 6.4 5.4 5.93.2

5.0 5.5

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Cases and Rates of HIV/AIDS Diagnoses in Nueces County, 2001-2012

Cases Rate per 100k

The County’s rate of new

HIV/AIDS cases and number

of new cases has declined

from 2003 (also, from 2001)

to 2012 as did the State’s.

The County rate per was 5.5

per 100,000 population in

2012 with 19 new cases. As

noted earlier, the County has

a smaller problem with

HIV/AIDS when compared

to the State with rates of new

diagnoses that are

approximately one-third

those of the State. The

positive trend for both the

State and the County is the

decline in new cases over the past decade. However, an increase of new cases and rate has occurred

over the 2010 to 2012 time period as may be seen on the chart.

Nueces County appears to have a significantly larger problem with sexually transmitted

diseases than the rest of the State. The data provided on the chart and the data file are from the

Texas Department of State Health Services (TDSHS) Surveillance report 2012. The methodology

for the 2012 report records the case on the date of diagnosis rather than the date of report to

TDSHS. The data

in Project’s files

for past years

have been

adjusted for this

change.

Consistently from

2005 through

2012, the Nueces

County annual

rates of diagnoses

for Chlamydia

and Gonorrhea

have been higher

than those for the

State. Both rates

have increased

over time. For the 2012, the rate of diagnosis for Chlamydia in Nueces County was 62.7% higher

than that for the State and the rate for Gonorrhea was 74.7% higher. Across the 2005 to 2011 time

period the diagnosis rate for Syphilis in Nueces County has been lower than the State rate.

However, in 2012 the County rate increased to the same level as that for the State. Thus, the health

statistics available indicate that overall the County has a significantly worse problem with Sexually

Transmitted Diseases than the State.

Sexually Transmitted DiseasesTexas

459.6 480.1 478.3

122.3 119.7 123.1

25.3 24.1 27.10

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

2010 2011 2012

Rate per 100,000

Chlamydia Gonorrhea Syphilis

Nueces County

697.8745 747.2

140.5169.9

215.1

15.6 16.9 270

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

2010 2011 2012

Rate per 100,000

Chlamydia Gonorrhea Syphilis

7


6.2 6 6.135.7

5.2 5.46.1 6

0

2

4

6

2008 2009 2010 2011

Rat

e b

y 1

,00

0 b

irth

Infant Mortality

State County

Induced Terminations of Pregnancy: The County has generally had a higher rate of

induced terminations of pregnancy than the State for both the 15 to 44 age group and the 13 to 17

age group. No distinction is made in these data as to the reasons for the induced terminations of

pregnancy.

The County

rate for ages

15-44

increased in

2010 to a level

not reached

since 2003.

The 2010 rate

of 23.5 for

ages 13-17 is

the highest

recorded since

rate of 20.9 in

1999, the

earliest year

for which this

indicator has been reported in this analysis.

Infant Mortality and Low Birth Weight Infants: The Texas Infant Mortality Rate (IMR)

was 6.1 per 1,000 live births in 2010, slightly below the U.S. rate (6.2 per 1,000 live births) for the

same time period. The

Texas IMR varied from

a low of 5.7 per 1,000

live births in 2000, to a

high of 6.6 per 1,000

live births in 2003.

Since 2003, the IMR

trended downward to its

current 2011 rate of 5.7

per 1,000 live births.

Black infants had the

highest IMR from 2000

to 2010, and in 2010 the

infant mortality rate of

11.4 for black infants

was higher than the

total Texas or Nueces

rates and any other ethnic group. For Nueces County the 2010 and 2011 rates increased back above

the lows in 2007 and 2008, but they remain lower than all years from 1999 to 2007. The County

rate for 2011 at 6.0 is higher than that for the state at 5.7.

Induced Terminations of Pregnancy

16 15.5 16.1

19.3 19.220.4

0

5

10

15

20

25

2008 2009 2010

As % Pregnancies Women Age 15-44

State Nueces

14 13.6 13.6

17.1

13.6

23.5

0

5

10

15

20

25

2008 2009 2010

As % Pregnancies Women Age 13-17

State Nueces

8


9.0 9.0

8.0

7.8

8.48.5

8.4 8.4

7.2

7.4

7.6

7.8

8.0

8.2

8.4

8.6

8.8

9.0

9.2

2008 2009 2010 2011

Pe

rce

nt

of

all B

irth

Low Birth Weight (< 2500 grams) Infants(%)

Nueces County Texas State

9

17.3

8.5

17.716.9

26.3

15.3

26.3

15.5

26

11.3

23.9

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

2009 Under 18 2009 All Ages 2010 Under 18 2010 All Ages

Perc

en

t o

f P

op

ula

tio

n

National State Nueces

The Texas percentage

of all live births

which were infants

with Low Birth

Weight (LBW)

comprised 8.4%. The

percent of LBW

infants born in Texas

has mirrored the U.S.

trend and has

increased steadily

between 2000 (7.4 %)

and 2010 (8.4%). The

percent of infants

born with LBW in the

U.S. increased from

7.6% in 2000 to 8.2%

in 2010. The percent of LBW infants born in the County decreased in 2008 from a 10 year high in

2007. It has continued to decline to the 2011 rate of 7.8%, the lowest rate recorded from 1999 to

2011. Also, the County rate dropped below that for the State for the first time in 2010 and remained

lower than the State for 2011.

People without Health Insurance Coverage: The percentage of all people and children

under 18 without health insurance coverage in Nueces County is significantly higher than the

National percentage but lower than the State percentage. In 2010, the percentage of uninsured

children under 18

was 8.5% for the

Nation, 15.3% for

the State, and

11.3% for the

County.

Problematic is the

percentage

without health

insurance for all

age groups. For all

categories, these

figures represent a

decrease in the

percentage

uninsured for this

age group since

2000. The State of

Texas is the

highest ranking of

all states in percent of individuals under 65 that have no health insurance at 26.3%. The percentage

of uninsured adults by state demonstrates comparatively lower uninsured populations located

primarily in the Northeast. Those with relatively higher percentages of uninsured are spread across

the South and West. In 2000, the Nueces County percentage of all persons without health insurance

9


11.5

4.1

11.6

4.3

17.9

7.6

13.7

4.9

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

2011 All Ages 2011 Under 18 2012 All Ages 2012 Under 18

Perc

en

t o

f P

op

ula

tio

n

State Nueces

Disability constitutes the following criteria (as defined by the Americans with Disability Act) :

1. Blind or had difficulty seeing.

2. Deaf or had difficulty hearing.

3. Difficulty having their speech understood.

4. Had a learning disability, an intellectual disability, developmental disability or Alzheimer’s disease, senility, or

dementia.

5. Had some other mental or emotional condition that seriously interfered with everyday activities.

People who have disability in the physical domain reported one or more of the following:

a. Used a wheelchair, cane, crutches, or walker.

b. Had difficulty walking a quarter of a mile, climbing a flight of stairs, lifting something as heavy as a 10-pound

bag of groceries, grasping objects, or getting in or out of bed.

6. Listed arthritis or rheumatism, back or spine problem, broken bone or fracture, cancer, cerebral palsy, diabetes,

epilepsy, head or spinal cord injury, heart trouble or atherosclerosis, hernia or rupture, high blood pressure, kidney

problems, lung or respiratory problem, missing limbs, paralysis, stiffness or deformity of limbs, stomach/digestive

problems, stroke, thyroid problem, or tumor/cyst/growth as a condition contributing to a reported activity

limitation.

was 22.3. It increased to a high in 2008 of 26.0% and decreased back to 23.9% in 2010. The County

has fewer children (those under 18) and adults without health insurance than the State, but is

considerably behind the National figures with more uninsured in all ages than found Nationally.

Disability Prevalence: The American Fact Finder (U. S. Census) data for disability has

changed format between 2008 and 2009. Also, the estimates made for disability from 2009 to 2011

are considerably higher

than the most recent

estimate for 2012. Thus,

trend analysis must be

considered carefully. The

Census definition of

disability is listed in a

box at the end of this

section. Regardless of

the data issues, the

County has had a higher

disability rate than the

State for the age group of

18 and under within the

data sets. As noted on

the Chart for Disability,

that difference for 2011

(and earlier years) was

3.5 percentage points. For 2012 it is only 0.6 percentage points. For the age group “All Ages”

County has also had a higher percentage with disability than the State. In 2012, 13.7% of the

County’s civilian non-institutionalized population (all ages) reported having a disability, while only

11.6% of the State’s population reported having a disability. For 2012 data, Nueces County had

12% disabled in the 18-64 primary working ages while the State had only 10%.

A report, People with Disabilities: A Texas Profile was published in April 2013 by the

Texas Workforce Investment Council. This report notes for 2011 that in Texas slightly more

females (11.8%) had disabilities than males (11.3%). African-Americans (14. 2%) were more likely

to report disability than White non-Hispanics (13.2%) and Hispanics (9.5%). Disability increased

with age, but decreased with educational level. The percentage of those with less than high school

10


50.1

5.214.3

45

7.2

17

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Married-couple family Family with malehouseholder, no wife

present

Family with femalehouseholder, no husband

present

Family Types 2012 as % of All Families

State Nueces

7.1

3.3

7.1

3.1

6.23

3.1

7.73

2.4

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

2010 Marriage 2010 Divorce 2011 Marriage 2011 Divorce

Rat

e P

er 1

,00

0

Marriage and Divorce (2010 to 2011)

State Nueces

with disability was 25.4% decreasing to only 8.0% for those with a Bachelor degree or higher. This

report provides data on types of disability and disability as reported by Region and County within

Region. It provides disability information about labor force participants and by industry.

3. Social Characteristics

When examining family structures in households with children, marriage, divorce, and

grandparents who are caregivers, it is clear that the State has more married-couple families than the

County.

Households and

Families: Research

indicates that married-

couple families are

more likely to provide

stability for children

than other family types.

Children from other

family types are more

likely to achieve lower

levels of education,

experience health

problems, and become

teenage parents than

children from low-

conflict married-couple

families. Nueces County shows a much lower percentage of married-couple households at 45% for

2012 compared to the State at 50.1%. Also for 2012, the County has a total of 24.2% of families

with only one adult present compared to only 19.5% for the State. Tied to these figures are those

that show that in 2012

the County had only

17.9% of its families

as married-couples

with at least one

person under 18 in the

family while the State

had 22.9%. For the

County, the total

percentage of one adult

families with at least

one person under 18

was 12.1% compared

to only 10.9% for the

State. For both, the

majority of the single

adult families were

female head of

household units.

11


73.8

14.8

6.8

74.7

17.8

7.3

0102030405060708090

Private wage andsalary workers

Federal, state, or localgovernment workers

Self-employedPe

rce

nt

of

em

plo

ye

d p

eo

ple

16

ye

ars

an

d o

ve

r

Types of Employers in 2011

State Nueces

Marriage and Divorce: In 2011, the County’s marriage rate (per 1,000 of population) was

7.7. The State’s marriage rate was 7.1. For both the County and the State the rate of marriages per

1,000 population has been declining. The figures for 2011 are the first time the County has recorded

a higher marriage rate than the State. Additionally, in 2011, the State’s divorce rate (per 1,000 of

population) was 3.1 while the County rate was lower at 2.4. The divorce data also indicate a

downward trend over the past decade. The data on the figure above show that for the first time in

2010 the County divorce rate was lower than that for the State.

Grandparents as Caregivers: The data tables that accompany this report indicate that over

10,000 grandparents live with their own grandchildren within Nueces County. Of importance is the

proportion of those grandparents that are the responsible adult(s) for the grandchildren. This

proportion was at 65.1% in 2000 and has basically declined since then. The proportions have

increased from a low in 2009 back to 48.7% for 2010 and 48.6% for 2011. Thus, almost half of the

grandparents that live with their own grandchildren in the County are responsible for the care of

those grandchildren. The figures for the County in 2010 and 2011 are higher than those for the State

which were at 43.1% and 42.8% respectively.

Family Size: Nueces County has a slightly smaller average household size than the State as

a whole. In 2011, the average household size for the County was 2.80 while for Texas it was 2.84.

House hold size in the County appears to have varied up and down from 2.72 to 2.80 over the past

decade. Family size is currently on an upward trend.

Taking all of the data on families into consideration, Nueces County, households are more

likely to have only a single adult in the household. County households are more likely to have a

grandparent that is responsible for the dependent children in the home and they are more likely to

contain a person 65 and older and/or a disabled person when compared to the State. These

conditions mean that Nueces County households are more likely to experience Family Management

Problems and Conflict as reported in the Risk Factor Data and Trend Analysis text.

4. Economic Characteristics

This section provides economic information beyond that available in the Risk Factor report

within the part on Extreme Economic Deprivation.

Type of Employer: When

compared to the State, the

County had a slightly higher

percentage in each type

displayed on the

accompanying chart compared

to the State in 2011. Between

2008 and 2011 the proportion

that were private wage and

salary workers declined for

both the State and the County.

In 2011, private wage and

salary workers comprised

73.8% in Texas and 74.7%

12


11.9

6.8

12.4

8.6

21.5

11.7

9.4

8.6

10.7

22

0 10 20 30

Retail Trade

Manufacturing

Arts, entertainment, recreation & foodservices

Professional Scientific and Technical

Educational services, health care & socialassistance

Percent of employed people 16 years and over

Employment by Industry in 2011

State Nueces

percent in Nueces County. An important difference between the State and the County is that more

workers are government workers in the County at 17.8% than the State at 14.8%.

Industries: In 2008, for the employed population 16 years and older, the leading industries

in the County and State were educational services, health care and social assistance, and retail trade.

When compared to the State, the County had a higher percentage of employees in the following

industries: educational services; health care and social assistance; arts, entertainment, and

recreation; accommodation and food services; and retail trade.

In 2011,

the picture has

changed. The

County has higher

employment in

only employment

in the Arts –

Entertainment –

Recreation and

Food Services

and Retail Trade

than the State. All

other industries

show a lower

employment

percentage than

Texas. In the

newer data sets

found at the U.S. Census, many of the older categories have been combined. This may be seen in

the data tables that support this report. The County has a much lower percentage of employees in

the management and enterprise industries and professional, scientific and technical jobs which tend

to have higher salaries. The County has a significantly higher employment in arts, entertainment,

recreation, and food services that generally have lower salaries and wages. These conditions

contribute to the data on median family income and per capita income that are reported here or in

the Risk Factor Data and Trend Analysis report. The bureau of labor statistics reports for 2013 that

the number of persons employed part time for economic reasons (also called involuntary part-time

workers) declined slightly. These individuals were working part time because their hours had been

cut back or because they were unable to find a full-time job.

Travel to Work: In 2010, 1.9% of Nueces County workers took public transportation

(excluding taxicab) to work, the highest percentage in 3 years and matching the figure for 2000.

However, this dropped to 1.6% in 2011 which has been more typical of recent years. The average

commute times for Texas and County workers remained about the same in the years from 2009 to

2011 at slightly over 18 minutes. This is a drop in travel time from the 2004 to 2007 time period

where it was above 19 minutes. In Nueces County, 93.69% of the people employed worked within

their resident county for 2011. This figure has been relatively stable ranging between 92% and 94%

since 2000.

13


34.7

15.7

13.2

33.5

15.7

33.9

14.4

11.4

26.6

14.4

5 15 25 35

Female householder families

All families

People age 65 and over

Children under 18 years

All people

Percent below poverty

Poverty in 2011

State Nueces

Poverty: The Census Bureau Determines Poverty Status by comparing annual income to a

set of dollar values called poverty thresholds that vary by family size, number of children and age

of householder. If a family's before tax money income is less than the dollar value of their

threshold, then that

family and every

individual in it are

considered to be in

poverty. For people

not living in families,

poverty status is

determined by

comparing the

individual's income

to his or her poverty

threshold.

Clearly the data

shows that no matter

what age group the

poverty level is

higher for Nueces

County compared with the State as a whole. Poverty rates have increased in Texas and Nueces

County in 2010 and 2011. The last was the fourth consecutive increase in the poverty rate reported

by the U.S. Census. The highest proportion living in poverty is found with children less than 18

years of age.

Gross Sales and Sales Tax Receipts:

Gross Sales: The variety of industries providing income through sales in Nueces County is

much less diverse than

the variety for the State

as a whole. In Nueces

County, only 5 industries

accounted for 92.3% of

gross sales for 2012. In

2012, these were

manufacturing (65%),

retail trade (14.5%),

wholesale trade (6.4%),

construction (5.6%), and

accommodation and food

service (2.2%). This list

shows less diversity

compared to the State in

existing industries across

Nueces County and

therefore makes Nueces

County more vulnerable

in times of economic

Nueces County Gross Sales by Industry(in Millions of Dollars)

23,229

4,554

2,204

1,282

735

23,994

5,325.0

2,337

1,563

807

300 5,300 10,300 15,300 20,300

Manufacturing

Retail Trade

Wholesale Trade

Construction

Accommodation and FS

2012 2011

14


slowdown. A positive sign can be observed in the data as gross sales across all industries increased

from 2011 to 2012.

The top 5 industries for the State accounted for only 79.2% of gross sales and included

manufacturing (21.1%), wholesale trade (24.8%), retail trade (24.6%), utilities (3.5%), and

construction (5.2%). Also, contributing between 2 and 4% each to the gross sales in the State were

the industries of mining; information; professional, scientific, and technical services; and

accommodation and food service.

The figures provided on the attached chart indicate a 6.8% increase in gross sales for the

County from 2011 to 2012. This is an upward trend that began after the significant drop in sales

between 2008 and 2009. The 2012 figure is an increase of 68.6% over the 2009 low. This increase

in sales appears to be reflected in the increase in median family income and per capita income

reported elsewhere. It is disappointing that this significant increase has not resulted in a decline in

persons, families, or children in poverty.

Sales Tax Receipts: In Nueces County five major industries accounted for 80.2% of sales

tax receipts in 2012. These were retail trade at 47 % accounting for almost half of all sales tax

receipts. Second, is found accommodation and food service accounting for 13.2 % followed by

wholesale trade at 12%, manufacturing at 7.8% and real estate renting and leasing. These data

reflect a long-term pattern for the County. Again, this indicates a lack of diversity in the tax base for

government units dependent

upon sales tax revenue

compared to the State.

In Texas 5 industries

contribute a total of 77.6% of

the sales tax receipts: retail

trade (43.5%), accommodation

and food service (12.2%),

information (7.7%), whole sale

trade (7.5%) and

manufacturing (6.7%).

In the short term, 2011-

2012, sales tax receipts have

increased 11.1% in Nueces

County. This appears to be a

larger increase than that found

for gross sales. However, the

longer term picture is different. From 2009, the low point in sales tax receipts, to 2012, the increase

has been a positive 42.6%, but this is significantly lower than the increase in gross sales. Much of

the growth in sales has been in industries that do not produce sales tax receipts.

These economic indicators, using 2012 data, show that poverty is more pervasive in the

County than in the State. Part of the reason for this is the nature of employment in the County.

Greater proportions of the County’s employed persons are found in industries known for producing

lower wage jobs when compared to the State. Also, contributing to this problem is the nature of the

dominant industry in the County.

Nueces County Sales Tax Receipts

by Industry (in Millions of Dollars)

2,140

597

484

338

178

2,321

648

590

384

214

- 500 1,000 1,500 2,000 2,500

Retail Trade

Accommodation & FS

Wholesale Trade

Manufacturing

Realestate Rental & Leasing

2012 2011

15


53.655.6

53.6 52.8 51.5

32.829.3

34.7 34.2 35.2

13.6 15.111.6 12.8 13.2

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Perc

en

t o

f A

ll H

ou

sin

g U

nit

s

Nueces County housing Occupancy from 2008 to 2012

Owner-occupied Renter-occupied Vacant

Manufacturing contributes the highest percentage (65%) to the gross sales in the County, but

this industry provides only 10.6% of the County’s jobs and contributes only 7.8% to sales tax

receipts to support all forms of local government. Conversely, the industries of retail trade, whole

sale trade, and construction contribute a total of 24.7% to gross sales and provide only about 29%

of the County’s jobs. However, they contribute 69.8% of sales tax receipts to support all forms of

local government. Further, the industries of health care and social assistance, education, and public

administration comprise about one third of the employed persons in the County compared to only

about a 1 quarter in the State, but these industries contribute less than one-half of one percent to

gross sales and less than one-third of a percent to County sales tax receipts. Thus, the community is

not well served by its dominate industries through employment or sales tax receipts, but is

dependent on industries connected to citizen’s disposable income for jobs and income to local

governments. It must, however, provide educational, public administrative, health, and social

services to its population from these industries that tend to weaken significantly in times of

economic downturn.

5. Housing Characteristics

This section provides information about housing units that may be considered with the prior

information on households in the section in the section on Social Characteristics.

Housing

Occupancy: As

mentioned in the Risk

Factors report, in 2012,

the

County had a higher

percentage of renter-

occupied and vacant

housing units than the

State. The State had a

higher percentage of

owner-occupied housing

units. As the population

grows, the total number

of housing units tends to

grow as well. However,

this is not reflected in current U.S. Census data. The reported number of housing units in Nueces

County is lower in 2012 than it was in 2010. The proportion of housing units that are owner-

occupied, renter-occupied, or even vacant varies as larger cycles ripple through the region, such as

boom-and-bust periods or regulatory changes encouraging or discouraging different development

patterns. For Nueces County, the trend noted of the accompanying chart is one of decreasing

housing occupancy by owners with increased occupancy by renters and increased vacancy rates.

Housing Costs: In 2008, the median home value in Texas was $126,800 and was $106,600

in the County. By 2011, Texas Home values had risen to $148.800 and they had risen to $109.700

in the County.

16


24.7

10.5

38.1

14.85

0

10

20

30

40

50

Owners with a mortgage Owners without a mortgage

Perc

en

t p

ayin

g 3

0%

or

mo

reo

f in

co

me f

or

ho

usin

g

Owners with a Housing Cost Burden in 2011

State Nueces

Nueces County has 38.1% of owners with mortgages and 14.85% of owners without

mortgages that spent 30 percent

or more of household income on

housing. In Texas, only 24.7% of

owners with mortgages and

10.5% of owners without

mortgages spent 30 percent or

more of household income on

housing. These data relate to the

lower median and per capita

income levels in the County

when compared to the State.

With lower income, housing

costs which might be similar

take a larger proportion of the

occupant’s income.

In Nueces County, housing structures tend to be older than in the State as a whole. In 2011,

the proportion of housing units in the County that were built after 1980 reached 43.4% which is up

significantly from the 30.1% in 2000 and an increase over 2007 that was at 40.5%.

In 2011, the number of occupied housing units with no vehicle was 8.9% which is close to

the highest figure over the past ten years. The percentage of households with only one vehicle in

2011 was 38.6%. This figure has varied from a high of 40.9% to a low of 34.2% across the 200 to

2011 time period. What is significant is the drop in units with 2 or more vehicles. This proportion

had been as high as 58.3% and was at 55.9% in 2009. It dropped to 37.1% in 2010 and again to

35.4% in 2011. These figures may be another indicator of the increasing poverty among families in

the County in the fact of increased median income.

6. Educational Characteristics

Educational attainment: As mentioned in the Risk Factors

report, persons over the age of 25

years in the County have a lower

educational attainment than those

in the State of Texas as a whole

and considerable lower

educational attainment than the

Nation. Each year the gaps

between the County and the

Nation are getting wider as the

data for the State and Nation show

a decline of individuals with less

than a high school degree while

Nueces County does not reflect a

similar decline. For example, in

2011 only for those 25 and over

only 12% nationally did not have a high school diploma or equivalent while this figure is 17% for

Educational AttainmentAge 25 and over with less than a

high school diploma or equivalent

15.03

13 1312

20.3819

1817

21.49 21.3

18.4

20.53

0

5

10

15

20

25

2008 2009 2010 2011

Perc

en

t o

f To

tal

Po

pu

lati

on

Ag

e 2

5 a

nd

over

National State NuecesU.S. Census Bureau-

American Community Surveys

17


9.6 9.59.4 9.4

27.625.524.9 24.4

6.9 6.5

13.5

17.7

8.1 8.7

2.79 2.4

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

County 2011 State 2011

Pe

rce

tn o

f In

div

idu

als

Educational attainment (25 years and older)

Grade K - 8 (%) Grade 9 - 12 (%)High School Graduate (%) Some College, No Degree (%)Associates Degree (%) Bachelor's Degree (%)Graduate Degree (%) No Schooling Completed (%)

the State and a much higher 20.5% for Nueces County. These data relate to the higher dropout rate

in the County when compared to the State. Some portion of those that drop out may later complete

high school or complete an equivalent program. However, these data indicate that the County

continues to have larger portions of its citizens without basic educational attainment to qualify for

higher wage employment.

In reports for 2011, the County also has slightly more persons (27.6%) with their highest

level of education as high school than the State (25.5%). The significant comparison is with more

advanced degrees. Nueces County has only 13.5% with a bachelor’s degree and 8.1% with a

graduate degree while the State has 17.7% with a bachelor’s degree and 8.7% with a graduate

degree. Thus, the County has fewer persons in its employment pool that may be eligible for

professional, scientific, managerial, administrative, and educational jobs than the State. These data

also relate to the lower median and per capita income figures for the County in comparison to the

State and Nation.

The data file

associated with this report

contains data tables from

the Texas Education

Agency’s Academic

Excellence Indicator

System reports for 12

independent school

districts in Nueces County.

These data go into much

greater detail for each

district than can be

included in this summary

report for the County. A

brief review of some of

these indicators is provided

here.

TAKS: The

proportion of students that scored at or above the State standard on the Reading TAKS test in 2008-

2009 for the State was 91.0% decreasing to 90% in 2010-2011. This proportion was met or

exceeded by only 3 districts in the County. These were Calallen, Flour Bluff and Tuloso-Midway.

This leaves more than half of the school districts below the State test results including Corpus

Christi ISD with the largest student population in the County.

ACT-SAT: For the State, in 2010-2011, 26.9% of students taking the tests scored at or

above the established criterion for the ACT-SAT examinations. Two school districts reported

higher proportions scoring at or above the criterion, Flour Bluff and Port Aransas. Corpus Christi

was at 17.8%. The lowest were Robstown at 3.3% and West Oso at 3.5%.

School Attendance : In the 2010-2011 academic year, the State attendance rate was 95.7%.

In Nueces County, the attendance rate for that year varied from 93.9% to 96.1%. Calallen and

Tuloso-Midway reported the highest attendance rates. The lowest were reported for Corpus Christi,

18


34.4 34.6

32.8

30.2

28

29

30

31

32

33

34

35

9th to Graduation

Pe

rce

nt

of

Stu

de

nts

Attrition Rate in Nueces County

Class of2008

Class of2009

Class of2010

Class of2011

West Oso, and Robstown. A chart covering multiple years for this indicator is available in the

Graphics File.

Drop-out rate: The indicator, 4 year dropout rate, applies to 10 school districts in the

County. This rate for the State as a whole was 7.3% for the 2010 graduating class. Most Nueces

County school districts had lower 4 year dropout rates than the State. West Oso was close at 7.0%.

Corpus Christi ISD was much higher at 17% and Robstown ISD was dramatically higher at 32%.

Attrition rate: The

attrition rate calculated for

all school districts for the

2011 graduating class was

30.2%. This attrition rate

from 9th grade to graduation

was lower than in previous

years, but remained slightly

higher than that for the State.

These data mean that a larger

proportion of students are

finishing high school within

the standard 4 years from 9th

grade to graduation. These

may relate to the reduction in

failure to attend school that is reported in the companion document Nueces County Juvenile

Delinquency Risk Factor Data and Trend Analysis. The data may indicate that the County has an

increased pool of potential employees that have basic educational requirements completed.

NUECES COUNTY DATA PROFILE - Liberal Artscla.tamucc.edu/ssrc/assets/ccy/2013/Nueces County Profile Jan 2014.pdf347,691. The majority of that population was located in the City of Corpus

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