SpaceX’s headquarters in Starbase, Texas, is located at the southern tip of the state in the Rio Grande Valley. The area was formerly known for its coastal wildlife, especially bird watching.
Before SpaceX, the region had a few dozen homes, mainly winter residences for retirees, with Brownsville being the nearest major city over 20 miles away, near the Matamoros, Mexico border.
Divergent Communities
Starbase and Brownsville present notable contrasts. Starbase mainly attracts transplants from cities like Austin and San Francisco who come for work rather than local attractions. In contrast, Brownsville’s population, primarily Latino, works in farming and shrimping.
Nevertheless, resources are shared between the communities. Many SpaceX employees reside in Brownsville, a city with roughly 192,000 people, where their children attend school.
Workforce Expansion
SpaceX employs over 4,000 workers in Starbase, with around 70% from the local area. Company records indicate plans to double this figure to about 8,000 employees this year.
Public Offering Boost
The company saw significant growth with its recent IPO, becoming the largest in history. SpaceX’s market value exceeded $2 trillion, and founder Elon Musk became the first person with a net worth over $1 trillion.
Community Reactions
Marco Colorado, owner of El Buen Pescador in nearby Port Isabel, noted increased business from visiting SpaceX employees and tourists drawn by rocket launches. “Whenever there’s a launch or an event, we get flooded,” he said, mentioning that the SpaceX clientele often arrive in Tesla vehicles.
Mikael Hinojosa of Double Day Bar of Champions saw a similar trend. Patrons gather to watch launches from the patio, then follow the rocket’s journey indoors on TV. “It’s a new type of tourism,” he remarked.
However, there are downsides. Hinojosa mentioned that museum artifacts are disturbed during launches, risking harm to existing tourism.
Environmental and Social Concerns
Save RGV, an environmental group, claims rocket launches impact local homes, wildlife, and air quality. Housing prices surged due to SpaceX employees purchasing homes, with Brownsville’s average home price reaching $196,920 in 2026, up 75% from 2018, according to Zillow.
Etienne Rosas, a local who ran for Congress, noted increased inequality despite economic growth. “There’s been a huge gap widening,” he said.
Downtown Brownsville is being reshaped by new tech-focused investments, which have affected long-standing family businesses. Rosas commented, “Brownsville had a certain dynamic pace, and now that’s gone.”
SpaceX did not respond to requests for comment.