Nueces County Medicare at a glance
| Nueces County | Texas | |
|---|---|---|
| Residents age 65 and older | 57,765 | 4,188,063 statewide |
| Share of residents age 65+ | 16.4% | 13.7% statewide |
| People with Medicare | 67,828 | 5,048,909 statewide |
| Enrolled in Medicare Advantage | 44,188 | 2,770,279 statewide |
| Medicare Advantage share | 65.1% | 54.9% statewide |
Data: U.S. Census Bureau (2023 population estimates); CMS, September 2026. Medicare Advantage share is enrollees divided by people with Medicare.
Among Texas’s 254 counties, Nueces County comes in 15th for residents age 65 and up (57,765). Older adults make up 16.4% of the population here; the state figure is 13.7%. Another 20,533 residents are age 60 to 64 and will reach Medicare eligibility within about five years (see our turning 65 guide). Census 2023 estimates show 59% of the 65-plus population is under 75, 31% is 75 to 84 and 10% is 85 or older. About 65.1% of people with Medicare in Nueces County are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan. That is higher than the Texas average of 54.9%. Averages cannot choose a plan for you. Medicare Advantage and Original Medicare with a Medigap plan each suit different people, depending on doctors, medicines and how you prefer to handle costs, and we compare both at your ZIP code.
Who has Medicare in Nueces County
Nueces County is a metro county; the U.S. Department of Agriculture describes it as: counties in metro areas of 250,000 to 1 million population. Metro counties usually have more hospitals and more insurers competing for Medicare members, so there can be more plans to compare.
CMS counts 67,225 Medicare beneficiaries in Nueces County (2023). Their average age is 72, about the same as the Texas average of 73. About 13% are “dual eligible,” meaning they have both Medicare and Medicaid, close to the state figure of 11%.
Among people in Original Medicare in Nueces County, CMS reported about 579 emergency room visits and 217 inpatient hospital stays per 1,000 beneficiaries in 2023, which is close to the state average for emergency visits (580) and close to it for hospital stays (226). About 12% received home health care. These figures describe how people use care under Original Medicare; they do not show what any plan covers or costs.
Sources: CMS Medicare Geographic Variation, 2023; USDA Rural-Urban Continuum Codes, 2023.
Where you live decides which Medicare Advantage and Part D plans you can join, and Nueces County may have a different set of plans than the counties around it. We are not based in Nueces County; we help Nueces County residents by phone or video call.
Hospitals located in Nueces County
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) lists these hospitals in Nueces County:
- CHRISTUS Spohn Hospital Corpus Christi — Corpus Christi (acute care; nonprofit; emergency services; CMS overall rating 3 of 5)
- The Corpus Christi Medical Center — Corpus Christi (acute care; nonprofit; emergency services; CMS overall rating 4 of 5)
- Driscoll Childrens Hospital — Corpus Christi (children's; nonprofit; emergency services)
Being located in the county is not the same as being in your plan’s network. Each Medicare Advantage plan builds its own network, so we confirm that your hospital and your doctors are included before you choose. Ratings are CMS Care Compare overall hospital star ratings; they describe the hospital, not whether a plan covers it. Source: CMS Hospital General Information.
Communities and ZIP codes in Nueces County
People in Nueces County live in communities such as Corpus Christi (316,595), Robstown (10,335), Port Aransas (3,446), Bishop (3,082), Agua Dulce (675), Driscoll (661) (2023 population estimates, counting only the part of each community that lies inside the county).
Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas mostly within Nueces County number 24: 78330, 78339, 78343, 78347, 78351, 78373, 78380, 78401, 78402, 78404, 78405, 78406, 78407, 78408 and 10 more. Your exact ZIP code is what decides which plans you can join.
Questions about Medicare in Nueces County?
Reach out to us: fill out our short form or call (571) 354-0146, and a licensed agent will compare the plans available to you, check your doctors and drugs, and stay with you each year at renewal. For general Medicare information, the federal helpline is 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).
Medicare resources from official sources
- Medicare Plan Finder on Medicare.gov, searchable by ZIP code.
- HealthCare.gov if you are not yet on Medicare.
- Medicare Care Compare for hospitals and doctors.
- Social Security: Medicare to enroll or check status.
- Texas Department of Insurance: Texas’s insurance regulator, including agent license lookup.
Coverage we offer Nueces County residents
Here is what we can help Nueces County residents with, drawing on plans from many insurers: final expense insurance, annuities, Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement (Medigap), Part D drug plans, ACA health insurance, ICHRA, group health insurance and life insurance.
Ready to compare plans in Nueces County?
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- Do you really need a Medicare agent?
- Does Medicare cover dental, vision and hearing?
- What happens if you do nothing during open enrollment?
- Medicare 101 for families
Nueces County compared with similar Texas counties
| County | Residents 65+ | Medicare Advantage share | Dual eligible share | Area type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Galveston County | 58,751 | 56.1% | 9% | Metro |
| Cameron County | 61,905 | 75.0% | 32% | Metro |
| Brazoria County | 52,042 | 57.2% | 10% | Metro |
| Bell County | 47,818 | 52.3% | 10% | Metro |
| Lubbock County | 43,685 | 52.5% | 10% | Metro |
| Smith County | 43,372 | 50.0% | 9% | Metro |
See every Texas county in our Texas directory or go to our Texas Medicare hub.