North Carolina's 204 New Opportunity Zones Win Federal Certification, Effective January 1, 2027
North Carolina Governor Josh Stein announced on November 5 that 204 census tracts in the state have been certified by the U.S. Department of the Treasury as a new round of Opportunity Zones, with the designations taking effect on January 1, 2027. Opportunity Zones are a federal economic development program that uses tax incentives to attract long-term private investment into low-income communities, spurring jobs, business growth, community revitalization and housing supply. Stein said the program can bring new investment to distressed communities in urban and rural areas alike, and that the new zones will let federal, state, local and private partners work together to maximize their potential to attract investment and strengthen communities. The state Department of Commerce said 340 nominations were received during the public comment period, reviewed based on the nominator's institutional role, alignment with state guiding principles, and statewide data on development potential and economic need, with submissions from county and municipal officials and those with economic development responsibilities given greater weight. Of the 204 tracts, each of the state's 93 eligible counties received at least one, accounting for 93; another 103 were allocated by county population share, and the remaining eight went to rural Tier One (most distressed) counties based on development potential and economic need. Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley said the designations can serve over the next decade as a tool to attract private investment and improve conditions in distressed and disaster-affected communities. American Community Survey data for 2020-2024, released in January 2026, showed 807 census tracts statewide eligible for the second round of Opportunity Zones; in September the Treasury added six more eligible tracts, raising the total to 813 and the nomination cap to 204. The full list of the 204 tracts is published on the Department of Commerce's Opportunity Zones website.
(Source: North Carolina Department of Commerce)
Source: North Carolina Department of Commerce
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
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