With its beautiful coastal setting and many miles of serene beaches, Corpus Christi is undoubtedly one of the jewels of South Texas and perfect for any traveler who wants a quiet seaside getaway.
If you are thinking about visiting Corpus Christi and have qualms about the safety of the city, we got you covered. We deep dived into the statistics, crime reports and talked to the residents of the city to give you a better understanding of how safe the safe the city really is.
Is Corpus Christi Safe To Visit?
If you only look at the statistics, Corpus Christi is a slightly unsafe place to visit. According to statistics recently released by the FBI, Corpus Christi had the 43st highest Violent Crime rate in the country in 2019, 794 incidents per 100,000 residents. It also ranked 51th for Property Crime rate in the country, 3,565.31 per 100,000 residents.
The average violent crime rate for the United States is 366.7 per 100,000 residents and the average property crime rate for the United States is 2,109.9 per 100,000 residents.
Corpus Christi’s violent crime rate is a little bit more than twice the national average and Corpus Christi’s property crime rate is more than 1.5x the national average.
Corpus Christi Crime Stats
In 2020 Corpus Christi reported 34 murders, which was a 9.6% increase from 2019 and Aggravated assaults also increased 11%.
Looking at a similar sized city with a population of 300k people, Corpus Christi had an average number of murders.
In 2020, St. Louis had 262 murders, Cincinnati had 91 murders, Stockton had 55 murders, and Lexington had 34 murders.
Here’s a breakdown of all the crimes in the city for 2020 compared with 2019:
Corpus Christi police reported a total of 13,496 offenses in 2020, compared with 13,963 in 2019, which is a 3.3 percent year-over-year decrease.
Looking at the table below, you can see that in terms of violent crime, Corpus Christi ranks 4th among the most populous cities in Texas and it ranks 3rd for property crime.
According to NeighborhoodScout, you have a 1 in 115 chance of being a victim of violent crime in Corpus Christi. Compare that to 1 in 77 chance in Oakland, 1 in 55 chance in Detroit and 1 in 52 in St. Louis.
If you look at Austin, you have a 1 in 245 chance of being a victim of violent crime, which is twice as less.
If you look at Houston, the most dangerous city on the list, you have a 1 in 91 chance of being a victim of violent crime, which is 20% more.
Downtown Corpus Christi is a generally safe area to visit. There is a small hub of bars and clubs in the downtown area that has a police presence.
What do residents of Corpus Christi say about its safety
The ‘Cut’ is probably the most dangerous part of town and the part where actual scary stuff happens. Don’t go here unless you want to be robbed, carjacked, or murdered.
Please do not swim in the bay or consume the fish in the bay, the water is polluted. Go to Padre Island, the water is way cleaner and it is not that far away.
Corpus Christi is relatively safe depending on the person and how much common sense they have. Most public places such as the bay front, beaches, and malls, are safe during the day.
Avoid the sh*t out of Leopard street. There are crackheads, gangs, shootings, robberies and prostitutes.
Avoid the “west of crosstown expressway” area, It is pretty ghetto and there is a lot of crime.
The southside of Corpus Christi is pretty nice and Portland can be nice too.
If you are swimming at a beach near building or hotels you are swimming in filth, especially within the city of Corpus Christi and even out on Padre Island. Head down to the beach where there are no buildings and you will have a much better experience.
The southside is definitely the nicer part of town.
AVOID LEOPARD STREET AT ALL COSTS!
If you go to Martin Luther King Jr on the north side at night youll see people just walking around selling and using drugs, and women selling their bodies. You will probably get robbed too. Best to avoid that area.
Potholes are very bad here. I have lived all throughout the United States and this place has the worst pot holes.
live in downtown and walk around 2-5AM and never had any issues.
Is Corpus Christi safe at night?
Like any other city, there are areas where you shouldn’t think of going at night, namely North Corpus Christi, The ‘Cuts’ and Leopard Street. These are the most dangerous areas and even long time residents have qualms about going there.
Is it safe to visit alone?
Corpus Christi can be a safe place to travel alone as long as you know the layout of the city and know which areas to avoid. Corpus Christi is just like any other medium sized city and there arerisks involved when you’re in a big town by yourself.
Research the areas in Corpus Christi that you want to visit and Use Google Maps street view to see if the areas are sketchy.
Tips to stay safe in Corpus Christi
Learn the layout of the city. Know which neighborhoods are good and which are bad.
Don’t leave valuables laying around in plain sight in your vehicle. Take any valuables with you or hide it in the trunk.
Don’t be a target. Avoid wearing expensive jewelry or anything flashy that might catch the eye of a thief
Be cautious of your surroundings. Don’t wear headphones or get lost in your phone. You want total situational awareness at all times.
Don’t go out alone at night. You are more likely to become a victim if you are alone.
Be respectful and mind your own business and you will mitigate a lot of problems.
If you think you are being followed, you probably are. Go into a store calmly and chat with the workers.
Park your car in a garage or a well-lit street.
Save the sightseeing for the day time.
Trust your gut. Your subconscious mind can notice details that your conscious mind doesn’t.
Don’t be afraid of making a scene to keep yourself safe.
Do not engage with crazy people and if they address you directly, still don’t engage. Keep moving forward.
Walk with confidence on the street and walk like you know where you’re going. Muggers often target people who appear nervous or walk irregularly.
Final Thoughts
Corpus Christi is a moderately safe place to visit. The crime stats are not indicative of a unsafe area and most residents agree that Corpus Christi is pretty safe with exception of certain areas which include; North Corpus Christi, The ‘Cuts’ and Leopard Street.
Mariska is a recovering attorney who gave up her professional job to discover new perspectives of life while traveling in a 2009 Ford Transit.
She has been living the van life for 3 years and has not looked back since.
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