Starbase officially becomes a Texas city after a decisive vote backed by SpaceX workers

Starbase was incorporated as an official city in Texas on May 3, 2025, following a vote by its residents, who are predominantly Elon Musk’s SpaceX employees, per the reports.

The decision was made after 212 people voted in favor while six were against, according to Cameron County election results. According to a report in NBC News, the newly formed city, which was reportedly a small South Texas town, mostly includes SpaceX’s employees and people connected to the company.

Cameron County Elections Administrator Remi Garza said,

“It’s officially statistically impossible for the measure to fail. Cameron County is about to have a new city.”

The incorporation of Starbase as a city can be considered a victory for Musk, for whom it's a dream come true. Musk first announced plans for the city in 2021. Starbase is the facility and the launch site for the SpaceX rocket program, which is under contract with the Department of Defence and NASA, per a report in CBC.

How did Musk react to the news? Let us find out.

What was Elon Musk's reaction to Starbase officially becoming a city?

Elon Musk reacted positively to Starbase officially becoming a city when the news was announced on May 3, 2025. The Tesla CEO celebrated the outcome with a brief post shared on X on May 4, 2025. He wrote:

“Starbase, Texas, is now a real city!”

According to a report in NBC News, an X account for Starbase has also been created. The account’s first post read:

"Becoming a city will help us continue building the best community possible for the men and women building the future of humanity’s place in space.”

The description for the city on its page reads:

“Located on the southern tip of Texas, Starbase is the newest city in the Rio Grande Valley.”

Starbase spans about 1.5 square miles at Texas's southern tip, along the coast near the Mexican border. The headquarters of SpaceX are also situated in this area. The town is locally known as Boca Chica. It is the place where the company builds its boosters and engines and launches its Starship rocket on test flights.

Since Musk first announced his plans for the new city in 2021, he has referred to the area many times in the past four years. According to a report in the New York Times, in a June 2021 post shared on X, he wrote:

“My primary home is literally a ~$50k house in Boca Chica / Starbase that I rent from SpaceX. It’s kinda awesome though.”

Adding to it, he said:

“Only house I own is the events house in the Bay Area. If I sold it, the house would see less use, unless bought by a big family, which might happen some day.”

According to Starbase General Manager Kathryn Lueders, the company already manages roads, utilities, schooling, and medical care for residents on the property. During the election for the new city, Bobby Pedden was selected as the city’s first mayor, Jordan Buss and Jenna Petrzelka were chosen as the city’s commissioners, a report in Newsweek stated.

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