A patch of remote land on the southernmost tip of Texas has officially transformed into a new municipality—Starbase. The move comes after residents, most of whom are employees of Elon Musk’s aerospace company SpaceX, voted overwhelmingly on May 4, 2025, to incorporate the area into a city. Of the 283 eligible voters, 212 supported the initiative while just six opposed it, according to results released by Cameron County officials.
The newly formed city spans approximately 1.6 square miles near Boca Chica, adjacent to the U.S.-Mexico border. Before SpaceX began acquiring land there in 2012, the area was sparsely inhabited. Over the past decade, the company has built extensive infrastructure including launch pads, housing for workers, and support facilities. Musk, who maintains a residence there, celebrated the vote on his social platform X, writing, “Starbase, Texas is now a real city!”
The creation of Starbase reflects SpaceX’s deepening presence in Texas. The city’s formation also signals a shift in local governance. Previously under the jurisdiction of Cameron County, the area will now be managed by its own officials. Residents elected SpaceX Vice President Bobby Peden as mayor and Jordan Buss and Jenna Petrzelka—both affiliated with the company—as city commissioners. All three ran unopposed.
As a Type C municipality under Texas law, Starbase has fewer than 5,000 residents and will have the authority to levy property taxes up to 1.5%, oversee local planning, and manage public services. Incorporation also provides the opportunity for the city to request control over access to nearby areas, including Boca Chica Beach and State Park, during rocket launches. A bill in the Texas legislature could expand Starbase’s authority to restrict access to those public areas, which has drawn concern from environmentalists and county officials.
Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño Jr. has voiced opposition to the bill, arguing that closures to public lands should remain under county control. The ongoing conversation around jurisdiction highlights the tension between SpaceX’s ambitions and broader community interests. Environmental advocates have raised concerns about increased debris, light pollution, and ecological impacts tied to the facility’s rapid growth. In 2024, the company was fined nearly $150,000 by federal and state regulators for violations related to wastewater disposal. SpaceX attributed the penalties to what it called “paperwork disagreements.”
Beyond environmental issues, some locals say the expansion has come at a cost to long-time residents. Celia Johnson, a former homeowner in the area, has publicly claimed SpaceX pressured residents to sell property and made the area inhospitable to outsiders. The number of people living outside the SpaceX housing areas is estimated to be around 500.
The area’s transformation into a city follows years of speculation and planning. A formal petition filed in December 2024 allowed for the May vote to proceed. For Musk and his companies, Texas has increasingly become a hub. Both SpaceX and X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, have relocated their headquarters to Texas in recent years, citing state-level policies more aligned with Musk’s preferences.
Unlike Musk’s other Texas project near Austin, which has not included extensive worker housing, Starbase appears to be emerging as a more self-contained company town. Evidence of Musk’s imprint on the area includes roads named after internet culture and even a large bust of the billionaire himself, which was recently vandalized.
With the incorporation now approved, Starbase stands as one of the most unconventional new cities in the country. The effort reflects Musk’s broader vision of building infrastructure that supports not just space exploration, but also the communities enabling it. Whether the experiment succeeds as a model for future private-public spaces will depend on how well the new city can balance SpaceX’s operational needs with those of surrounding residents, ecosystems, and public access.
Image is in the public domain and was created by Trevor Cokley.
