Governor Stein Announces New Opportunity Zone Designations

Today Governor Josh Stein announced that North Carolina received certification for 204 census tracts as Opportunity Zones by the U.S. Department of the Treasury. This announcement reflects months of engagement with local leaders and communities across the state. These eligible low-income census tracts will benefit from enhanced federal tax treatment to attract private investment, create jobs, support business growth, revitalize communities, and expand housing opportunities.  

“The Opportunity Zone program has the potential to bring new investment to distressed rural and urban communities across North Carolina,” said Governor Josh Stein. “The new Opportunity Zones will position federal, state, local, and private partners to work together to maximize their potential to attract investment, strengthen communities, and help build a stronger economic future for North Carolinians.” 

Opportunity Zones are a federal economic development program designed to encourage long-term private investment in designated low-income communities. Under the program’s second round of designations, known as Opportunity Zone 2.0, governors may nominate up to 25% of states’ eligible low-income census tracts for consideration by the Treasury.  

North Carolina received 340 nominations during the public comment period. Submissions were evaluated based on the submitter’s organizational role, alignment with the state’s guiding principles, and statewide data assessing each area’s development potential and economic need. Submissions from county officials, municipal officers, and officials with formal economic development responsibilities received greater weight.  

“Identifying North Carolina’s new opportunity zones has been a collaborative effort between state and local partners to ensure communities across the state have the chance to benefit from this program,” said N.C. Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley. “Over the next 10 years, these designations can serve as a tool to attract private investment and improve conditions in distressed and disaster-impacted communities across North Carolina."

Under federal law, North Carolina could nominate 204 census tracts. The state used the following methodology to distribute those nominations among eligible counties:  

When 2020-2024 American Community Survey (ACS) data was released in January 2026, 807 census tracts in North Carolina met the Opportunity Zone 2.0 eligibility criteria, allowing the state to initially nominate 202 tracts.  

Following the close of North Carolina’s public comment period, the Treasury announced six additional eligible census tracts in September 2026. This increased the state’s eligible pool to 813 census tracts and its nomination cap to 204.  

The 204 census tracts nominated to the Treasury are available on Commerce’s Opportunity Zone website.  

The Treasury formally announced the certification of the new Opportunity Zone designations, which take effect January 1, 2027.