Cameron County shared SpaceX investment and impact on local economy

Cameron County Judge Eddie Trevino Junior said SpaceX has become a major impact maker in the local economic growth with new investments and job creation.

This region is the home of Starbase to launch the Starship rocket and to build new ships on site. In the past few years, the location has gained attraction from visitors who want to see a live view of this flight.

The County has proven suitable for the development of critical infrastructure with up to six transportation systems including seaport, air, road, rail, pipeline, and space.

“SpaceX’s vision in Cameron County has always been ambitious, and with the company’s shift to build and launch the Starship spacecraft, SpaceX’s investment in Cameron County has been significant in recent years,” said Judge Trevino Jr.

Data shared by the county judge reveals that SpaceX has invested more than $3 billion in infrastructure at Starbase. $6.5 billion accounted for the annual gross economic market value of Starbase in RGV.

SpaceX Founder and CEO Addressing Starship Missions at 2023 Annual SpaceX meeting with employees at Starbase

It contributed over $800 million of state and local government capital income and indirect business taxes. These are generated by Starbase’s 350+ acres of land, 222,000+ sq ft for manufacturing facility, and 20,000+ sq. ft for vehicle high and medium bays. It spent $90 million with 80+ RGV suppliers for goods and services.

As of May 2024, over 11,000 people have visited South Texas for a single Starship launch. It has attracted 20,000 tourists and 16,500 official visitors to the region last year. The county estimates Starbase to generate $99 million from tourism in 2025.

SpaceX has 3,400 full-time employees and contractors. Furthermore, the company created 21,400 indirect jobs in the community in the past years. Moreover, the region received a $400 million investment to build a 1 million square feet manufacturing facility and 329,000 sq. ft office space at Starbase.

Previous input suggests that the company is working on Starbase launch site expansion with additional liftoff towers. This will boost liftoff operations at the site.

(source)