The Coastal Bend region comprises 12 counties: Aransas, Bee, Brooks, Duval, Jim Wells, Kenedy, Kleberg, Live Oak, McMullen, Nueces, Refugio and San Patricio.

Best Places to Live on the Coast (Money magazine)
Top Coastal City for Retirement (Where to Retire magazine)
One of the eight best, inexpensive U.S. cities for retirement (Where to Retire)
Most Affordable Waterfront Community (Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine)
Ranks in the Top 20 Cities in America for Most Affordable Housing (Forbes magazine)
No. 6 Mid-Size City in the U.S. for Entrepreneurs (Entrepreneur magazine)
No. 1 Income Growth for Gulf Coast (Forbes magazine)
No. 10 Most Digital City in America (Center for Digital Government)
No. 1 Economic Development Group in the U.S. for Follow-Up (Southern Business & Development magazine)
No. 13 Mid-Size City in America for Job Creation (Inc. magazine)
No. 3 Most Active Industrial City in the Nation (Industrial Information Resources)

The average price of a new house with 2,400 square feet of living space on an average 8,000-square-foot urban lot with all utilities is $210,200, or $87.58 per square foot.

The cost of living in Corpus Christi is considerably less than the U.S. average, with an overall compos­ite cost-of-living score of 87.8.

National Average = 100

Airport
Corpus Christi International Airport, (361) 289-0171

Highways
Several key state and federal highways connect Corpus Christi to American and Mexican markets. Interstate 37 and U.S. 181 are located one mile from the Port of Corpus Christi. Access is also available via U.S. 59, 77, 181 and 281 and State Highways 44, 358, 286, 357, 443 and 35.Plans are under way for Interstate 69 to extend south from Houston through the Corpus Christi area to the Rio Grande Valley and Laredo. I-69 is part of a 1,600-mile national corridor that will
link South Texas and the upper Midwest.

Ports
The Port of Corpus Christi is the sixth largest in the nation. Located midway along the Texas coast on the Gulf of Mexico, the port offers convenient access to Houston, San Antonio, the Rio Grande Valley and Mexico.

Rail
Rail lines include BNSF, Corpus Christi Terminal Railroad, KCS Railway (Texas Mexican Railway), and Union Pacific Railroad.

Corpus Christi Regional Economic Development Corp.
One Shoreline Plaza
800 N. Shoreline Blvd. Ste. 1300 South
Corpus Christi, TX 78401
Phone: (361) 882-7448
Fax: (361) 882-9930
www.ccredc.com

WorkSource Solutions of the Coastal Bend
400 Mann St., Suite 1000
Corpus Christi, TX 78401
Phone: (361) 225-1098
Fax: (361) 814-3450www.coastalworksource.com

SOURCES:
www.twc.state.tx.us, www.census.gov

The Coastal Bend region comprises 12 counties: Aransas, Bee, Brooks, Duval, Jim Wells, Kenedy, Kleberg, Live Oak, McMullen, Nueces, Refugio and San Patricio.

Airport
Corpus Christi International Airport (361) 289-0171

Highways
Several key state and federal highways connect Corpus Christi to American and Mexican markets. Interstate 37 and U.S. 181 are located one mile from the Port of Corpus Christi. Access is also available via U.S. 59, 77, 181 and 281 and State Highways 44, 358, 286, 357, 443 and 35.

Plans are under way for Interstate 69 to extend south from Houston through the Corpus Christi area to the Rio Grande Valley and Laredo. I-69 is part of a 1,600-mile national corridor that will link South Texas and the upper Midwest.

Ports
The Port of Corpus Christi is the sixth largest in the nation. Located midway along the Texas coast on the Gulf of Mexico, the port offers convenient access to Houston, San Antonio, the Rio Grande Valley and Mexico.

Rail
Rail lines include Burlington Northern Santa Fe, Corpus Christi Terminal Railroad, KCS Railway (Texas Mexican Railway), and Union Pacific Railroad.

Best Places to Live on the Coast (Money magazine)
Top Coastal City for Retirement (Where to Retire magazine)
One of the eight best, inexpensive U.S. cities for retirement (Where to Retire)
The Nation’s Most Affordable Waterfront Community (Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine)
Ranks in the Top 20 Cities in America for Most Affordable Housing (Forbes magazine)
No. 6 Mid-Size City in the U.S. for Entrepreneurs (Entrepreneur magazine)
No. 1 Income Growth for Gulf Coast (Forbes magazine)
No. 10 Most Digital City in America (Center for Digital Government)
No. 1 Economic Development Group in the U.S. for Follow-Up (Southern Business & Development magazine)
No. 13 Mid-Size City in America for Job Creation (Inc. magazine)
No. 3 Most Active Industrial City in the Nation (Industrial Information Resources)

The cost of living in Corpus Christi is considerably less than the U.S. average, with an overall compos­ite cost-of-living score of 87.8.
National Average = 100
Composite Index, 88
Food, 81.6
Health care, 85.3
Housing, 80.7
Misc. goods and services, 91.5
Transportation, 92.3
Utilities, 101.7
Source: ACCRA Cost of Living Index, 2nd quarter 2007

The average price of a new house with 2,400 square feet of living space on an average 8,000-square-foot urban lot with all utilities is $210,200, or $87.58 per square foot.

Austin, 3 hours
Brownsville, 2 hours
Dallas, 6 hours
Houston, 3 1/2 hours
Laredo, 2 hours
McAllen, 2 hours
San Antonio, 2 hours
Monterrey, Mexico, 5 hours

For Population Age 25 and Up
High School, College & Higher
Corpus Christi, 78.7%, 35%
Region, 77%, 27%

Source: DemographicsNow

Nineteen school districts serve the area, including five within Corpus Christi.

The largest district is the Corpus Christi Independent School District.

The Texas Education Agency grades public schools in read­ing, writing and mathematics. Schools are rated exemplary, recognized, academically acceptable or academically unacceptable. The five school districts in Corpus Christi boast 19 exemplary campuses.

School Districts
Nueces County
Agua Dulce ISD
(361) 998-2542
www.adisd.esc2.net

Banquete ISD
(361) 387-2551
www.banqueteisd.esc2.net

Bishop Consolidated ISD
(361) 387-2338
www.bishopcisd.esc2.net

Calallen ISD, (361) 242-5600
www.rschooltoday.com

Corpus Christi ISD
(361) 886-9200
www.corpuschristiisd.org

Driscoll ISD, (361) 387-9072
www.driscollisd.esc2.net

Flour Bluff ISD
(361) 694-9000
www.flourbluffschools.net

London ISD
(361) 855-0092
www.london.tx.schoolwebpages.com

Port Aransas ISD
(361) 749-1200
www.port-aransas.k12.tx.us

Robstown ISD
(361) 767-6600
www.robstownisd.org

Tuloso-Midway ISD
(361) 903-6400
www.tmisd.esc2.net

West Oso ISD
(361) 806-5900
www.westosoisd.esc2.net

San Patricio County
Aransas Pass ISD
(361) 758-3466
www.aransas-pass.k12.tx.us

Gregory-Portland ISD
(361) 777-1091
www.g-pisd.org

Ingleside ISD
(361) 776-7631
www.inglesideisd.org

Mathis ISD
(361) 547-3378
www.mathisisd.esc2.net

Odem-Edroy ISD
(361) 368-9312
www.oeisd.org

Sinton ISD
(361) 364-6801
www.sintonisd.net

Taft ISD
(361) 528-2636
www.taftisd.net

Higher Education
Del Mar College (Corpus Christi) (361) 886-1254
www.delmar.edu

Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi (361) 825-2624
(800) 4-TAMUCC
www.tamucc.edu

Texas A&M University-Kingsville, (361) 593-2315, www.tamuk.edu

Coastal Bend College (Alice, Beeville, Kingsville)
(361) 358-2838,
www.vct.coastalbend.edu

Craft Training Center
(Corpus Christi), (361) 289-1636

CHRISTUS Spohn Hospital Alice (361) 661-8000
CHRISTUS Spohn Hospital Beeville (361) 354-2000
CHRISTUS Spohn Hospital Kleberg (361) 595-1661
CHRISTUS Spohn Hospital Corpus Christi-Memorial
(361) 902-4000
CHRISTUS Spohn Hospital Corpus Christi-Shoreline
(361) 881-3000
CHRISTUS Spohn Hospital Corpus Christi-South
(361) 985-5000
Corpus Christi Medical Center (361) 761-1400
CCMC-Northwest Regional Hospital (361) 767-4500
Bay Area Medical Center
(361) 761-1200
Doctors Regional Medical Center, (361) 761-1400
Heart Hospital of South Texas
(361) 761-6800
Corpus Christi Naval Hospital
(361) 961-2688
Driscoll Children’s Hospital
(361) 694-5000
Driscoll Children’s Rehabilitation Center, (361) 694-4380
North Bay Hospital
(361) 758-8585

The Port Industries of Corpus Christi, founded in 1953, is an association of 12 port-related industries and the Port of Corpus Christi that works to promote the health, safety and economic well-being of plant employees and residents in the Coastal Bend. Member companies of the PICC employ approximately 10,000 people. The PICC also is indirectly responsible for another 50,000 jobs and is responsible for nearly 50 percent of the community’s economic output. Annual pay­rolls for the PICC are nearly $1 billion. Products manufactured by PICC members are used to make items ranging from car dashboards and medicine to toys.

Member organizations include Air Liquide, Celanese, CITGO, DuPont Corpus Christi, Elementis Chromium, Lyondell Chemical Co., Flint Hills Resources, Mark West Javelina Co., OxyChem, Sherwin Alumina Co., TRIGEANT Ltd., Valero Refining Co. and the Port of Corpus Christi.

The Port of Corpus Christi handled more than 86.9 million tons of cargo in 2006.

Coastal Bend area, July 2007
Educational and health services, 32,876
Financial activities, 9,732
Government, 47,228
Leisure and hospitality, 17,400
Manufacturing, 11,600
Natural resources, mining and construction, 6,800
Other services, 6,800
Professional and business services, 16,600
Retail trade, 19,400
Transportation, warehouse, utilities, 30,400
Wholesale trade, 5,500
Note: Port industries account for approximately 39,000 jobs.

Source: Texas Workforce Commission

CITGO
Flint Hills Resources
Gulf Marine Fabricators
HEB Grocery Co.
IRC Advanced Film Division
Kiewit Offshore Services Ltd.
OxyChem
Sam Kane Beef Processors Inc.
Valero Refining

Age Group, Percentages
19 or under, 30.5 %
20 to 24, 7.7 %
25 to 34, 13.3 %
35 to 44, 13.4 %
45 or over, 35.1 %

2007, 4.6%
2006, 5.1%
2005, 5.6%
2004, 6.4%
2003, 6.7%
2002, 6.4%
2001, 5.5%
2000, 5.5%
Source: Texas Workforce Commission

Skills, Number of Persons
Office operations, 12,900
Warehouse/materials handling, 8,800
Manufacturing/assembly/fabrication, 6,500
Medical/health sciences, 4,100
Maintenance/installation/repair, 7,100
Technician/Quality assurance, 6,500
Information tech/telecommunications, 5,700
Electronics/engineering, 2,500
Total, 19,600

Note: Underemployed in this illustration is defined as those individuals who are currently working but would take a better job if offered by a new or existing employer.

Industry, Hourly Wages
Natural resources & mining, $19.84
Construction, $16.83
Manufacturing, $17.95
Retail & wholesale trade, $13.36
Transportation & warehousing, $17.31
Utilities, $21.87
Information, $16.27
Financial activities, $16.20
Educational services, $16.62
Health-care services, $14.00
Professional, scientific & tech. services, $18.62
Admin. & support services,$12.33

Corpus Christi Regional Economic Development Corp.
One Shoreline Plaza
800 N. Shoreline Blvd.
Ste. 1300 South
Corpus Christi, TX 78401
Phone: (361) 882-7448
Fax: (361) 882-9930
www.ccredc.com

WorkSource
400 Mann St., Suite 1000
Corpus Christi, TX 78401
Phone: (361) 225-1098
Fax: (361) 814-3450
www.coastalworksource.com

SOURCES:
Sources: www.twc.state.tx.us,
www.census.gov