Nueces County, Texas

TX · FIPS 48355 Republican

Located in Texas, Nueces County has a population of 352,955 residents and a median age of 37.2 years, making it the #210 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 17.4%. The median home value is $208,800, and the median household income is $66,897, which is 11% below the national median.

352,955
Population
#210 of 3,222
$66,897
Median Income
-11.0% #1,445 of 3,222
37.2 years
Median Age
-4.4% #2,724 of 3,222
17.4%
Poverty Rate
+38.1% #2,371 of 3,222

Demographics

Nueces County has a population of 352,955, making it the #210 most populous county in the US. The median age is 37.2 years, which is 4.4% below the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

91.6%
Native Born
8.4%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Nueces County is $66,897, ranking #1,445 out of 3,222 counties — 11.0% below the national median. The poverty rate is 17.4% and unemployment stands at 5.1%.

Income#1,445
$66,897
-11.0%
vs nation
55th percentile
Per Capita#1,650
$34,626
-16.1%
vs nation
49th percentile
Poverty#2,371
17.4%
+38.1%
vs nation
26th percentile
Unemployment#2,082
5.1%
-3.9%
vs nation
35th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Nueces County is $208,800 (-25.9% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,283/mo and the homeownership rate is 59.7%.

Home Value#1,316
$208,800
-25.9%
vs nation
59th percentile
Rent#440
$1,283
+10.3%
vs nation
86th percentile
Homeownership#3,015
59.7%
-7.3%
vs nation
6th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Nueces County, 23.8% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 29.4% below the national average, ranking #1,396 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
23.8% −29.4% vs nation
Rank #1,396 of 3,222
57th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Nueces County is 74.6 years. 27.6% of adults report poor or fair health and 19.4% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#1,766
74.6
-0.8%
vs nation
42th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#2,965
27.6%
+41.1%
vs nation
6th percentile
Diabetes#3,018
15.5%
+39.2%
vs nation
4th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,334
40.1%
+7.5%
vs nation
26th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#2,197
5.9
+5.3%
vs nation
30th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#2,008
4.7
+4.3%
vs nation
36th percentile
Uninsured Rate#2,985
19.4%
+85.4%
vs nation
5th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,926
34.4%
+30.4%
vs nation
7th percentile
Food Insecurity#2,791
18.7%
+29.8%
vs nation
11th percentile

Substance Use

16.7% of adults in Nueces County smoke , 44.0% are obese , and 21.8% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 26.6 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#1,200
16.7%
-7.0%
vs nation
62th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,929
44.0%
+16.1%
vs nation
7th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,288
21.8%
+9.4%
vs nation
27th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#975
26.6
-17.8%
vs nation
54th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Nueces County is 8.7 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 16.8 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 13.4 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#1,067
8.7
+8.9%
vs nation
31th percentile
Suicide Rate#1,032
16.8
-14.8%
vs nation
60th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1,470
18.2
+1.8%
vs nation
40th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#744
13.4
-34.0%
vs nation
74th percentile

Families & Children

24.7% of children in Nueces County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 5.1 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 26.8 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#310
5.1
-25.0%
vs nation
77th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#2,098
26.8
+22.6%
vs nation
30th percentile
Child Poverty#2,479
24.7%
+30.0%
vs nation
21th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Nueces County is 49.9%. The mean commute time is 23.3 min, which is 15.4% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
49.9% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
23.3 min −15.4% vs nation
Rank #2,285 of 3,222
29th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Nueces County voted Republican with a margin of 11.5%. The vote was 43.8% Dem / 55.3% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 8.6 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +11.5%
43.8% 55.3%
Dem 121,614 votes Rep
2020 REP +2.9%
47.9% 50.8%
Dem 127,314 votes Rep
2016 REP +1.6%
47.2% 48.8%
Dem 103,958 votes Rep
2012 REP +3.2%
47.7% 50.9%
Dem 95,781 votes Rep
2008 REP +4.5%
47.3% 51.8%
Dem 101,230 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Nueces County, Texas

Nueces County, Texas has a total population of 352,955, making it the 210th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Nueces County is 37.2 years, which is 4.4% below the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Nueces County is $66,897, which ranks #1,445 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 11.0% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 17.4%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 5.1%.

The median home value in Nueces County is $208,800, 25.9% below the national median. Renters in Nueces County pay a median gross rent of $1,283 per month. The homeownership rate is 59.7%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Nueces County, 23.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 29.4% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 82.4% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 23.3 min.

Nueces County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is Hispanic or Latino at 62.5% of the population, followed by White (non-Hispanic) (29.3%) and Black (non-Hispanic) (3.5%).

All data for Nueces County, Texas comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.