I worked for USFWS down there at Santa Ana and Laguna Atascosa NWRs. Smack dab on the border where the Rio looks more like a creek. We had Fed Wildlife Officers at every prescribed burn, and at every burn/wildfire we had at minimum 6-10 illegals trying to sneak across using the smoke for cover. By this point they were about dead, so we'd hand them some water and let the LEO come and get them. It was usually women and children.Its odd, and I've wondered about it for years.
As said above, I lived in various parts of Tejas for 20 years.
Travelled extensively in Mexico and Central America, driving alone and with buddies. I've made many good friends and met many great people. Kind, compassionate, down to earth. Very family and church orientated. If you're welcomed by the family, youre in good shape. Went to a birthday party for a friend and ate the wrong thing, fish fresh out of a river. Got sick as a dog so my buddy who is pretty influential in the area took me to his parents house and his mom tended to me for 3 days. I love those folks. In Mexico their hard workers, and even the poor take pride in their homes, keep them up and work to improve them.
When they immigrate here and seem to strive to reach the same level they knew in Mex. but no more. Rather it seems their more comfortable letting standards lower to where they were before coming here. Some of that is just that a lot of them end up in cities surrounded by their own culture and never break free, I reckon.
Back to Corpus, yeah, over all its largely peopled by the lower, and lower middle class though there are some really nice areas.
If you dont mind the hurricanes, I'd look out towards Flour Bluff, east of town near the beach, or one of the surrounding towns like Port Aransas. Or go a bit west of town and avoid the destruction that hits every once in a while.
I'm sure if OP can get into a nice community his problems will be lessened but I'd stay away from the border of Meh-hico and maybe a little bit north up the gulf. Hurricanes will be the major issue there, but it's worth it to get away from the border crossings and smuggling routes. Some of those border towns are NOT what they used to be. Used to it was nice to go into mexico to some of the small towns and buy fruit and other items for dirt cheap. Not to mention cheap dental (wouldn't recommend major surgery). Now you couldn't force me down there. The cartels have truly ruined those areas.