Texas Nominated 90 New Opportunity Zones
State officials submitted the new census tract designations on September 4, 2026, to spur economic growth.
Updated on Oct. 1, 2026 in Commercial
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Texas officials nominated 90 new census tracts for the federal Opportunity Zone 2.0 program on September 4, 2026. This initiative offers a project-based 10-year tax break to incentivize development in underinvested regions.
Why it matters
The program aims to revitalize specific areas by attracting capital for projects that create jobs and expand the local tax base. By shifting designations toward urban tracts, state officials hope to maximize the impact of new private investment.
Texas attracted $8 billion of the $112 billion invested in U.S. opportunity zones by the end of 2024. Dallas County currently contains 60 of the newly nominated tracts, with 44 located within the city of Dallas.
The players
Texas
The state government managed the submission of census tract nominations for the federal program.
The details
Texas officials redirected designations from rural areas to urban tracts to boost economic activity. Over 90% of money invested during the original program funded real estate projects, a trend expected to continue as total investment in state tracts could double over the next decade.
Timeline
2017 marked the establishment of the original opportunity zone program.
The end of 2024 saw 77% of designated U.S. tracts receive investment.
September 4, 2026, was the date Texas submitted its new nominations.
The next 2 to 4 years serve as the target window for initial job and tax base growth.
The next 10 years represent the duration of the rolling project-based tax break.
Culture Shift
These designations follow the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which permanently codified the opportunity zone framework. This shift moves the program from a temporary experimental phase toward a standardized long-term engine for urban economic redevelopment.
Businesses and developers in nominated tracts like those in Dallas County may see increased access to equity investment for new projects. Residents in these areas could experience localized job creation and infrastructure improvements as the 10-year tax incentive draws capital to the region.
The takeaway
Investors looking to utilize these tax breaks should evaluate specific project timelines against the 10-year holding requirements. Communities can expect sustained interest in real estate development as the program seeks to double total investment in these designated tracts.
Further reading
For more details on regional growth, visit the Texas Commercial section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Bisnow.
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