SpaceX’s headquarters in Starbase, Texas, has significantly changed the local landscape. This area, positioned in the Rio Grande Valley near the southern tip of Texas, was initially famous for its coastal wildlife and bird watching opportunities. Before SpaceX’s arrival, the region had only a few dozen homes, mostly winter residences for retirees. Brownsville, the nearest major city, is over 20 miles away at the border with Matamoros, Mexico, and had a predominantly Latino population involved in farming and shrimping.
Starbase functions as a company town, with new residents arriving from places like Austin and San Francisco for work rather than for the wildlife. Despite their differences, Starbase and Brownsville share resources. Some SpaceX employees live in Brownsville, which has approximately 192,000 inhabitants, and send their children to school there. According to company records, SpaceX employs over 4,000 workers at its Starbase facilities, with about 70% sourced from the local area. The company aims to nearly double its workforce to around 8,000 employees this year.
The company’s trajectory saw a major leap forward with its recent initial public offering, the largest ever, boosting SpaceX’s market value above $2 trillion and making Elon Musk the first person valued at over $1 trillion.
SpaceX’s presence has influenced the local business sector. Marco Colorado, owner of El Buen Pescador restaurant in nearby Port Isabel, Texas, mentioned that the company has brought more business, with employees and visitors drawn by the rocket launches. “Whenever there’s a launch or an event going on, we get flooded,” Colorado said, noting the SpaceX crowd often arrives in Tesla vehicles.
Similarly, Mikael Hinojosa, owner of Double Day Bar of Champions, observed a surge in business driven by SpaceX-related activities. He described the influx as “a new type of tourism,” with patrons gathering to watch rocket liftoffs and following them on TV.
However, there are mixed feelings about SpaceX’s impact. Environmental activist group Save RGV claims the company’s rocket launches have left debris behind, disrupted wildlife, and harmed air quality in nearby homes. Etienne Rosas, a Brownsville native and former congressional candidate, highlighted that SpaceX’s growth has contributed to rising housing prices, with the average home costing $196,920 in 2026, up 75% from $112,705 in 2018.
Rosas expressed concerns about widening economic inequality and mentioned that SpaceX’s arrival has reshaped Brownsville’s downtown, attracting new investment and development. Yet, he warned that these changes have impacted long-standing families in the area. “Brownsville had a certain dynamic pace, and now that’s gone,” Rosas commented.
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