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Relocation guide · updated October 19, 2026
Moving to Starbase for a space job
Where SpaceX builds, tests and launches Starship. Most crews live in Brownsville, Port Isabel and South Padre Island. Here's where people actually live, what to book for the first month, and how long the drive is — from 43 places we verified by hand (last checked October 14, 2026).
490
Open jobs at Starbase
66
Trades & technician roles
43
Verified places to stay
Where crews live
- Port IsabelClosest town to the site; limited housing stock7 places in our guide
- BrownsvilleMost rentals and services; where most crews live24 places in our guide
- South Padre IslandBeach lifestyle; a slightly longer drive4 places in our guide
- Los FresnosQuieter, smaller-town option3 places in our guide
Your housing options
| Type | Listed | Monthly from | Drive to site |
|---|---|---|---|
| Extended-stay hotels Kitchen suites with weekly and monthly rates: the easiest first 30 days. | 10 | — | 30–55 min |
| Furnished monthly rentals Houses and condos furnished for 1–6 month stays. | 8 | — | 30–45 min |
| Apartments Unfurnished communities, mostly 6–12 month leases. Ask about short terms. | 12 | $1,350 | 27–40 min |
| RV parks Monthly sites and park-model cottages. Popular with trades crews. | 9 | $1,145 | 25–45 min |
| Property managers Local firms that lease long-term homes and condos. | 4 | — | 32–55 min |
"Monthly from" shows only prices published on the property's own site; many places quote on request.
What the rental market is like
- Starbase has about 500 residents, most of them families of the roughly 260 SpaceX employees who live there; more than 3,000 people work at Starbase and most commute in daily via TX-4, the only road. source
- Nearly all homes in Starbase are owned by SpaceX (all but four, per The Real Deal); housing there is Airstream trailers and modest prefab homes, growth is hemmed in by wildlife areas and the bay, and there is no public lodging in Boca Chica, so visitors stay in Brownsville or South Padre Island. source
- Brownsville-Harlingen metro median rents (Rentometer, May 2026): 1BR apartment $819, 2BR apartment $1,039, 3BR apartment $1,294; 3BR house $1,800. source
- NPR reported in 2022 that Brownsville-Harlingen median home prices rose 26% since 2020 ($184,900 to $233,000) as SpaceX expanded, with homes selling in under two weeks versus up to three months before. source
- New extended-stay supply is arriving: the City of Brownsville announced the opening of a new extended-stay hotel with apartment-style kitchen suites in June 2025, citing SpaceX and Port of Brownsville expansion as drivers of long-term lodging demand. source
The jobs
490 open roles at Starbase.
Quick answers
Where do people live when they work at Starbase?
Most crews live in Port Isabel, Brownsville, South Padre Island, Los Fresnos. Port Isabel: closest town to the site; limited housing stock. Brownsville: most rentals and services; where most crews live. South Padre Island: beach lifestyle; a slightly longer drive. Los Fresnos: quieter, smaller-town option.
What's the easiest housing for the first month at Starbase?
Most new hires start in an extended-stay hotel or a furnished monthly rental, then sign a lease once they know their shift and commute. Our guide lists 10 extended-stay hotels and 8 furnished-rental options near Starbase.
How many jobs are open at Starbase right now?
490 space-industry roles as of October 19, 2026, mostly at SpaceX. 66 of them are trades and technician jobs.
Are there RV parks near Starbase?
Yes. We list 9 RV parks with monthly sites near Starbase; they're popular with trades crews and contractors on long assignments.