The North Carolina Department of Commerce invites local governments, economic development professionals, and all members of the public to review and provide recommendations on a set of candidate areas across the state that could eventually be certified as North Carolina’s new Opportunity Zones. Governor Josh Stein tapped the Department to solicit broad input regarding which of the qualifying low-income census tracts hold the most potential to attract investment and economic and housing development opportunities for the state.
"The Opportunity Zone program attracts dynamic capital investment into areas of the state that need it most,” said Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley. “The renewal of this federal program will help us expand housing supply, spur community-driven development, and create new jobs in North Carolina
The Opportunity Zone program was first created in 2017 as part of federal tax legislation, authorizing each state to designate up to 25 percent of its total low-income census tracts as qualified Opportunity Zones. Low-income census tracts are areas where the poverty rate is 20 percent or greater and/or family income is less than 80% of the area’s median income. The legislation created a tax break for qualified investors who wish to re-invest unrealized capital gains, avoiding standard capital gain tax obligations. The program was originally set to stop accepting new investments after December 31, 2026, but it was recently reauthorized under Public Law 119-21 and made permanent, with new tract and Zone designations now called for every 10 years.
In the new round, North Carolina has a pool of 807 low-income census tracts to choose from and will be able to nominate 202 tracts to become North Carolina Opportunity Zones. The new process provides an opportunity to strategically align federal tax incentives with state and local economic development priorities. Local leaders and people providing feedback should follow three state level guidelines when evaluating eligible census tracts for their ability to support long-term economic competitiveness and community revitalization.
- Business Development and Job Creation
- Prioritize census tracts with strong potential to attract or expand businesses in high growth, high wage sectors such as advanced manufacturing, technology, life sciences, clean energy, and other targeted high wage industries.
- Consider tracts containing industrial sites, including mega sites, certified sites, or select sites previously identified and prioritized by Commerce or the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (EDPNC).
- Consider tracts with economic development projects underway with additional investment needed when the OZ 2.0 designations are in effect.
- Strategic Local Revitalization
- Prioritize tracts supported by documented local plans and/or recent investments for community revitalization, industrial site redevelopment, mixed-use projects, or other community-driven initiatives.
- Pathways to Increased Housing Supply in High Need Areas
- Prioritize tracts where OZ designation can meaningfully expand housing supply, particularly areas near major employment centers or transit corridors, locations with recent public infrastructure investments, identified sites targeted for significant housing development, and areas with documented regional housing needs.
Commerce has published a web page at commerce.nc.gov/oz offering more information on the program and the public comment period, including a map of the 807 low-income census tracts eligible for nomination as well as the public feedback form that can be downloaded and returned to the department. The comment period opens today, April 29, 2026 and the feedback forms will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, June 7 2026.
The new zones will be certified by the United States Treasury later this year and are expected to be in effect starting January 1, 2027.