Bishop’s industry, schools draw buyers to southwestern Nueces County
The small city of Bishop, located in southwestern Nueces County, was settled in the early 1900s as a farming community but has since industrialized thanks to the opening of the Celanese Corporation plant. This community, once known as the “Cotton Capital of the Coast,” now attracts people for employment, schools and proximity to the Naval Air Station in nearby Kingsville. Cynthia Tobar, a Re/Max Quail Country Realtor who grew up in Bishop, says people move here for employment and schools. “Celanese makes plastics, like the little red button on your seatbelt. It’s a pretty big company. And the Naval base has a flight school, so people come and get their wings here. Plus, the Bishop schools are better than the ones in Kingsville,” Tobar says.
Single-family homes typically sell for under $600,000
New Traditional and ranch-style homes, along with modest cottages and bungalows are common. Many streets are too narrow for parking, but most houses have garages or carports and long driveways. Prices range from about $50,000 to $600,000, depending on the size and condition of the home itself and the land around it. Homes with several acres of well-maintained property or active farmland typically sit on the top end of the spectrum.
While Carreta Creek is prone to flooding, Bishop’s risk of high water and wind damage during hurricane season is lower than in coastal Corpus Christi.
Highly sought-after Bishop Independent School District
Bishop Consolidated Independent School District earns a B-plus from Niche. It serves about 1,300 students across four schools with a 14-to-1 student-teacher ratio. BCISD system allows inter-district open enrollment; about 20% of students are out-of-district transfers. Tobar says homebuyers are especially drawn here for Bishop Primary and Petronila Elementary, which get A and A-minus grades, respectively. Luehrs Junior High earns a B-plus, and Bishop High gets a B. “The smart kids in Kingsville go to school in Bishop,” she says. Texas A&M University’s Kingsville campus is within 7 miles of most homes, about a 10-minute drive away.
Recreation at Bishop parks, in Kingsville and Corpus Christi
Bishop City Park has a community center, a covered basketball court and baseball fields where the local little league and high Bishop High School teams play. A short trail winds around the playground and along the nearly 10-acre lake, which is stocked for catch-and release fishing. Amistad Veterans Memorial Park anchors the west side of town. Renovations completed in 2025 include new ADA-compliant accessible playground equipment and a splash pad, as well as new murals and trails.
Kingsville’s King Ranch is the second-largest working ranch in the world, covering more ground than the state of Rhode Island. “It’s more of a touristy thing, but the museum is interesting,” Tobar says. There’s also a museum showcasing South Texas and American ranching history and a saddle shop, where visitors can watch craftsmen hand-make saddles. The Texas State Aquarium, as well as bayfront beaches in Corpus Christi are within 40 miles of Bishop. Padre Island National Seashore and Mustang Island State Park, on the Gulf Coast, are about 60 miles away.
Shopping and dining on U.S. Route 77
Convenience stores, gas stations and small businesses, like Southern Horizon Nursery and Gilley’s Western Store, line U.S. Route 77. Fireworks and farm stands are also scattered along the four-lane highway, between auto shops, farm equipment stores and wide, flat grassland. There’s a Dollar General, near Taqueria Jalisco and Dairy Queen, where Tobar says high schoolers hang out after class.
U.S. Route 77 connects to Kingsville and Corpus Christi
Route 77 runs along the east side of Bishop, heading southwest to Kingsville, under 15 miles away. The drive to Kingsville Naval Air Station and Christus Spohn Hospital Kleberg, another big regional employer, usually takes less than 15 minutes. Corpus Christi, about 34 miles northeast, is usually a 30-minute drive without traffic on Route 77 or Interstate 69E.
