San Patricio County
San Patricio county’s economy is
well-diversified. The county has the largest
manufacturing sector in the Coastal Bend.
More than one in 10 jobs belongs to
industrial manufacturing. The government
sector has diminished considerably
after the closure of its military base. The
construction sector is the leading private
employer, much of which supports the
development and maintenance of the
heavy manufacturing industry. With
the construction of several large-scale
industrial sites underway, construction
employment will continue to expand in
years to come. Current developments in
the Port of Corpus Christi district will also
shape the future economic landscape of
the county. The expanding manufacturing
sector in San Patricio county is poised to
be a boon to the metro area economy. The
Eagle Ford oil and gas production has also
contributed much to the development of
the local mining sector. Employment in
oil and gas extraction doubled from 63 in
2008 to 126 in 2013. Businesses in support
activities for oil and gas exploration also
more than doubled their employment
over those years.
Employment Growth 2012-13 by Industry
Government
Other Services (except Public Admin)
Accommodation & Food Services
Arts & Recreation
Health Care & Social Assistance
Educational Services (Private)
Administrative & Support
Management of Businesses
Professional & Scientific Services
Real Estate & Rental
Finance & Insurance
Information
Transportation & Warehousing
Retail Trade
Wholesale Trade
Manufacturing
Construction
Utilities
Mining
Agriculture
-20%
-15%
-10%
-5%
In 2013, almost every industry
added jobs. In addition to the continuous
expansion in employment for oil and gas
extraction, the development of heavy
manufacturing industries has boosted
construction employment significantly.
Sales
80%
Volume, $mil (left scale)
Y-o-Y % Change (right scale)
60%
700
5%
10%
15%
Industry expansion alongside Port of
Corpus Christi also created jobs in water
transportation. Since mid-2013, the
increasing volume of outgoing shipments
of crude oil has made the Port a net
exporter rather than an importer.
Home Starts
400
350
300
600
40%
500
20%
400
300
0%
200
-20%
100
0
-40%
2008
2009
2010
2011
Businesses in San Patricio county
suffered remarkably during the closure
of Naval Station Ingleside. The volume of
local business sales reduced 20 percent
32
0%
|
2012
2013
250
200
150
100
50
0
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
in 2010. Business activity has slowly
recovered since 2011. The county’s
housing market has also picked up at a
moderate pace. More than 350 homes
Annual Review of the South Texas Economy – 2014 Edition
were built in the midst of the last housing
boom during 2006. After a long period of
declines, new home starts began to pick
up in 2012.