SALT LAKE CITY — Utah has drawn its new Opportunity Zone map, and it will likely stay that way for 10 years. Gov. Spencer Cox has recommended 37 census tracts to the U.S. Treasury for the next round of the federal program, the state's Governor's Office of Economic Development (GOED) announced on Sept. 24.
Thirty-seven is the most Utah could pick. Of the state's 147 eligible tracts, federal rules let a governor nominate only 25%. The list includes 27 urban tracts and 10 rural ones.
Treasury is expected to certify the final designations in December. The new zones and investment rules take effect Jan. 1, 2027.
What an Opportunity Zone does
Opportunity Zones use the tax code to steer private money into lower-income areas. Investors who roll capital gains into Qualified Opportunity Funds, which then invest in projects inside designated tracts, get tax breaks on those gains. For developers and contractors, that means a pool of investor capital actively looking for projects in specific places.
What changed this time
The first round of Opportunity Zones came out of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The new round, often called OZ 2.0, comes with several changes:
- It's permanent. Treasury says the incentive was permanently renewed, with zones redesignated every 10 years. States that miss a nomination window wait for the next cycle.
- Eligibility is tighter. A tract now qualifies with a poverty rate of at least 20%, or a median family income no higher than 70% of the state or metro median, down from 80%, according to GOED.
- Rural projects get more. GOED says a five-year investment in a Qualified Rural Opportunity Fund now earns a 30% basis step-up, which could triple the tax benefit for rural investment.
Treasury refers to the authorizing law as the Working Families Tax Cuts. GOED's program page calls it the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
How Utah chose
GOED weighed employment, population growth, capital flows, existing infrastructure, labor market participation and economic conditions in each tract. It also ran two statewide webinars and surveyed local officials, economic development professionals, business owners and developers, then followed up to confirm project plans.
The state gave extra weight to tracts that cities and counties named as top priorities, and to tracts tied to specific development projects. It also aimed for geographic balance. Rural tracts make up about 20% of those eligible statewide, and they got 10 of the 37 spots.
Cox said the zones give communities another way to attract investment, businesses and jobs, and that the state wanted a process grounded in data and local feedback. GOED Commissioner Jefferson Moss said the picks reflect both the numbers and what communities told the state.
Where the zones are
County | Tracts | Type |
|---|---|---|
Salt Lake | 11 | Urban |
Utah | 7 | Urban |
Cache | 3 | Urban |
Weber | 3 | Urban |
Davis | 2 | Urban |
Iron | 2 | Rural |
Washington | 1 | Urban |
Box Elder | 1 | Rural |
Carbon | 1 | Rural |
Duchesne | 1 | Rural |
Grand | 1 | Rural |
Piute | 1 | Rural |
Sanpete | 1 | Rural |
Tooele | 1 | Rural |
Uintah | 1 | Rural |
GOED has posted an interactive map of the recommended tracts.
Key dates
Date | Milestone |
|---|---|
July 1, 2026 | Treasury opens the new nomination cycle |
Sept. 24, 2026 | Cox submits Utah's 37 recommended tracts |
December 2026 | Treasury expected to certify final designations |
Jan. 1, 2027 | New zones and investment rules take effect |
What to watch
For builders, the map matters more than the tax mechanics. Projects inside these tracts can tap a source of equity that projects next door cannot. Because GOED favored tracts tied to specific projects, some of that development is likely already in planning. Contractors working in these areas should expect developers to start lining up Opportunity Fund money once the zones are certified in December.