Market Report • 2026
The Elon Musk Effect
How SpaceX, The Boring Company, Starlink, and X are transforming Bastrop County real estate. The numbers, the impact, and what it means for property values.
How SpaceX, The Boring Company, Starlink, and X are transforming Bastrop County real estate. The numbers, the impact, and what it means for property values.
Bastrop County population growth over the past 4 years is more than 4x the growth of Austin's Travis County.
Elon Musk has quietly built the beating heart of his business empire in Bastrop County. What started as a SpaceX testing facility has grown into a multi-billion dollar campus that spans thousands of acres and multiple companies.
Rocket engine testing and development facility in McGregor (nearby) with growing operations in Bastrop County. Starship components, Raptor engines, and mission support. Hundreds of engineers commuting to or relocating in Bastrop.
Research and development headquarters in Bastrop County. Tunnel boring machine testing, infrastructure R&D. Purchased hundreds of acres. Plans for test tunnels and a company campus.
500,000 square foot manufacturing facility in Bastrop County. Producing satellite internet terminals and ground equipment. One of the largest manufacturing operations in the county. Major employer.
Planning to break ground on a new headquarters campus in Bastrop County. Server farms, office space, and data center infrastructure. Moving from San Francisco to Texas.
Musk is building Snailbrook — a company town adjacent to his SpaceX and Boring Company facilities. Named after the Boring Company's mascot (a snail), Snailbrook will include housing for employees, a gym, a science center, and community amenities. It's the 21st century version of the company town — and it's being built right here in Bastrop County.
"Fields to factories: Elon Musk-led companies spur transformation of Bastrop landscape."
— Community Impact, April 2024Median home prices have more than doubled in 5 years. SpaceX, Boring, and Starlink employees are moving from California with Bay Area home equity and bidding up local properties. This trend is accelerating, not slowing.
Large tracts are being snapped up — by Musk's companies, by developers building subdivisions for Musk employees, and by investors betting on continued growth. Available acreage is shrinking fast.
Rental prices are surging as construction workers, engineers, and contractors flood in. If you buy investment property now, occupancy and rent growth look strong for years.
New roads, utilities, broadband (Starlink, obviously), and commercial development are following the Musk money. The county is investing in infrastructure to handle growth.
Bastrop County is to 2026 what Austin was to 2015 — still affordable, rapidly growing, and about to become a lot more expensive. The window is closing.
Pre-Musk. Bastrop is a quiet rural county 30 minutes east of Austin.
COVID dip. Remote work starts driving interest in rural properties.
Tesla Gigafactory opens in Austin. Musk companies begin Bastrop land acquisitions. Prices jump 45%.
Starlink manufacturing facility announced. Boring Company expands. California employees relocating.
Rate hikes slow growth. Prices plateau but don't drop — Musk demand absorbs inventory.
X (Twitter) HQ move announced. Snailbrook company town plans revealed. Second wave of buying begins.
All four Musk companies actively building. Population growth 4x Travis County. Available land shrinking.
The Bastrop market is moving fast. Whether you're buying a home, investing in land, or looking at rental properties — the time is now.