Six numbers we watch in Nueces County, and the one we cannot find
Obesity, diabetes, inactivity, the dentist, food and insurance: how our county compares with Texas and the U.S., what each number tells a parent, and the child statistic nobody has published.
Numbers about health in Corpus Christi usually arrive one at a time, in a headline, and then disappear. We would rather keep a few of them on the wall where we can see them every week.
So here are the six numbers Ignite His Glory watches, side by side with Texas and the country, with the year each one comes from. Five of them run the wrong way for our county, and one runs the right way. A seventh is missing entirely, and we will tell you why that matters too.
The six numbers
| Measure | Nueces County | Texas | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adults with obesity (2022) | 44.0% | 34.2% | 32.6% |
| Adults with diagnosed diabetes (2022) | 15.5% | 13.4% | 10.8% |
| Adults with no leisure-time physical activity (2022) | 34.4% | 27.6% | 23.7% |
| Adults who visited a dentist in the past year (2022) | 47.8% | 57.7% | 63.4% |
| Children who are food insecure (2024) | 29.9% | 26.1% | 19.5% |
| Children under 19 with no health insurance (2020–2024) | 8.2% | 12.0% | 5.5% |
Sources: the first four rows come from CDC PLACES and BRFSS estimates as published in the 2025 Corpus Christi–Nueces County Community Health Assessment. Food insecurity is from Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap (2024 data, released July 2026). Insurance is from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, table S2701.
What each one tells a parent
Obesity and diabetes: the adults around our kids
Almost half of adults in our county live with obesity, and about 1 in 6 have been told they have diabetes. Those are grown-up numbers, but children grow up inside them. They shape what is in the fridge, what a family does on Saturday, and how early a doctor starts asking about blood sugar.
One honest note: the health assessment shows a lower county diabetes figure in one of its charts than in its summary table. These are survey-based estimates, not a head count. Either way, Nueces County sits above the national average.
Inactivity: the hour that goes missing
About a third of adults here report no physical activity or exercise outside of work. Kids copy what they see. When an evening walk or a pickup game is normal for the grown-ups, it becomes normal for the children.
The dentist: a quiet signal about access
Fewer than half of adults in Nueces County saw a dentist in 2022, well below Texas and the U.S. We track this because it is often a sign of something bigger: cost, time off work, transportation. The same barriers keep children away from checkups where a weight or blood-sugar concern would be caught early.
Food insecurity: 3 in 10 children
Map the Meal Gap estimates that 29.9 percent of Nueces County children, about 24,950 kids, lived in food-insecure households in 2024. That is higher than Texas and far higher than the country. Worrying about the next meal and worrying about weight can happen in the same house. Cheap, filling food is often the least healthy food.
Insurance: a place where we are doing better
Here is a number that runs the other way. About 8.2 percent of Nueces County residents under 19 are uninsured, roughly 7,200 children. That is still too many, and it is higher than the national rate. But it is well below the Texas rate of 12 percent. It shows that local families and local helpers can move a number.
The number we cannot find
The one number every parent would want here is the share of Nueces County children who have obesity. We have not found a current, published figure for our county alone.
What we do have is statewide. The UTHealth Dell Center’s Texas SPAN report (2021–2023 data, updated August 2025) found that about 1 in 4 Texas school-age children have obesity, compared with 1 in 5 nationally, and that Texas ranks sixth highest for ages 6 to 17. Given how far our adult numbers run above the state, it would not be wise to assume our children are doing better. But we will not print a local child number we cannot verify.
We would rather tell you what we do not know than hand you a number we cannot stand behind.
What to do with these numbers
- Treat them as weather, not destiny. A county average says nothing about your child. It only tells you which way the wind is blowing, so you can dress for it.
- Ask for the measurements at the next checkup. Height, weight, BMI percentile and blood pressure are recorded at a well-child visit. Ask what they mean for your child, and whether any blood test makes sense.
- Close the easy gaps first. If your child has no insurance or the fridge runs short at the end of the month, the Coastal Bend Food Bank’s social services team helps families apply for Medicaid, CHIP and SNAP at no cost: (361) 887-6291, 5442 Bear Lane.
Where Ignite Fit fits
We cannot change a county number by ourselves. We can change one child’s season, then twenty-five of them, and publish what happened. Ignite Fit is our free ten-week health and fitness season for ages 8–17: coach-led training, real cooking, and faith. Season One dates will be announced soon.
Parents are welcome at every session, and no parent is ever asked to drop off and leave. We are Catholic and open to everyone; prayer is offered and never required.
Your next step: register a child on the Ignite Fit page, or call 361-765-2126 with questions.
Sources
- 2025 Corpus Christi-Nueces County Community Health Assessment – adult obesity 44.0% / 34.2% / 32.6%, diagnosed diabetes 15.5% / 13.4% / 10.8% (summary table; CDC PLACES/BRFSS 2021-2022); no physical activity 34.4% / 27.64% / 23.68%; visited dentist 47.8% / 57.7% / 63.39% (2022).
- CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health – model-based county estimates behind the CHA adult figures.
- Feeding America, Map the Meal Gap – 2024 estimates (released July 2026): child food insecurity 29.9% Nueces County (24,950 children), 26.1% Texas, 19.5% U.S.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey table S2701 (5-year 2020-2024) – uninsured under 19: Nueces County 8.2% (±1.2; about 7,217 children), Texas 12.0%, U.S. 5.5%.
- UTHealth Houston Michael & Susan Dell Center, Child Obesity in Texas (Texas SPAN 2021-2023, updated August 4, 2025) – 1 in 4 Texas school-age children have obesity vs 1 in 5 in the U.S.; Texas 6th highest for ages 6-17.
- Coastal Bend Food Bank: Social Services Programs – free help applying for SNAP, Medicaid and CHIP; 5442 Bear Lane, (361) 887-6291.
Not medical advice. Ignite His Glory is a community and faith organization, not a healthcare provider. We explain publicly available guidance so families can have better conversations with a doctor. Always talk with your child’s clinician before changing diet, exercise or any medication.
Ten weeks. One coach. No cost to your family.
Ignite Fit puts this into practice for children ages 8 to 17 in Corpus Christi — movement, a teaching kitchen and a family that learns alongside the child.
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