Texas Opportunity Zones 2.0

Texas OZ 2.0 Selection Process

Last updated: April 17, 2026. Status: Active — accepting community nominations through June 26, 2026.

Texas has the largest OZ 2.0 nomination authority of any state. The state has 2,420 eligible census tracts and will nominate up to 605 tracts under the 25% federal cap — roughly one in four eligible tracts statewide.

The Economic Development & Tourism Office (EDT) within the Office of Governor Greg Abbott leads Texas's selection process.

Process timeline:

• Spring 2026: EDT published interactive ArcGIS map of eligible tracts, downloadable OZ 2.0 Nomination Packet, and FAQ document.
• June 26, 2026: Community nominations due from cities, counties, EDOs, and tribal governments.
• On or before August 3, 2026: Texas submits final nominations to Treasury (targeting early submission well ahead of the September 29 federal deadline).

Selection criteria (four factors, as published by EDT):

1. Statutory compliance — tract must meet federal eligibility under OBBBA (70% of area median family income threshold, updated poverty criteria).
2. Local support — evidenced by local incentives, tax rebates, interlocal agreements, or documented commitments from local government.
3. Project viability — private capital deployable within 24-48 months, affordable housing projects, anti-displacement protections.
4. Geographic balance — regional representation across Texas, leveraging the 33% federal rural requirement, priority for tracts in disaster-affected areas (Hurricane Harvey, 2024 Panhandle wildfires).

Submit questions to: [email protected].

Sources: Texas OZ 2.0 Program Page; Texas OZ 2.0 FAQ (PDF).