Now Available: The Opportunity Zones Playbook
Opportunity Zones in Houston, TX
Houston has 97 Qualified Opportunity Zones under the original 2018 (OZ 1.0) designation round. These zones remain in effect through December 31, 2028.
Under the Opportunity Zones 2.0 framework, the State of Texas will nominate up to 605 new Opportunity Zones in 2026, with those designations taking effect on January 1, 2027. Given the size and concentration of eligible census tracts in Houston, a significant share of Texas’ new OZ 2.0 designations may be located within the city.
Jump to section:
- How to Invest in Opportunity Zones
- Current Opportunity Zones in Houston (Designated 2018)
- Future OZ 2.0 Designations in Houston
Official City Resources: City of Houston, TX
What Are Opportunity Zones?
Opportunity Zones are economically distressed communities designated at the census tract level. U.S. taxpayers who reinvest eligible capital gains into Qualified Opportunity Funds that invest in Opportunity Zone property may qualify for several federal tax benefits.
How To Invest in Opportunity Zones
To qualify for the Opportunity Zone tax incentive, investors must reinvest eligible capital gains into a Qualified Opportunity Fund (QOF). The QOF must then deploy capital into qualified Opportunity Zone property or businesses located within designated census tracts.
Qualifying investments in Opportunity Zones may include ground-up real estate development, substantial rehabilitation of existing property, or operating businesses structured as Qualified Opportunity Zone Businesses (QOZBs), provided all statutory and regulatory requirements are satisfied.
Learn more:
- The Beginner’s Guide to Opportunity Zones
- What Is a Qualified Opportunity Fund?
- The Two Ways to Invest in Opportunity Zones
Current Opportunity Zones in Houston (Designated 2018)
Houston’s 97 Opportunity Zones are located throughout the city, with major concentrations along the East End and Ship Channel corridor, Third Ward and Southeast Houston, Greenspoint and North Houston, Gulfton and Southwest Houston, and Sunnyside and South Park. There are an additional 10 Opportunity Zones in suburban Harris County, TX.
The census tracts listed below were designated in 2018 under IRS Notice 2018-48 and correspond to 2010 U.S. Census tract boundaries. All such OZ 1.0 designations expire after December 31, 2028.
To view these on a map, go to our Opportunity Zones Map.
| County | Census Tract | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Fort Bend | 48157670200 | Non-Rural |
| Fort Bend | 48157670400 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201100000 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201210400 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201210500 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201210600 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201210700 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201210800 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201211000 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201211300 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201211400 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201211500 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201211600 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201212300 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201220100 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201220200 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201220800 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201222501 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201222503 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201222600 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201222700 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201230200 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201230600 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201230700 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201231000 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201231100 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201231200 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201231400 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201231500 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201240100 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201240501 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201240502 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201240600 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201310100 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201310300 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201310400 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201310500 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201310600 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201310800 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201310900 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201311000 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201311600 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201311700 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201312000 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201312200 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201312300 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201312400 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201312500 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201312700 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201312800 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201312900 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201313000 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201313200 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201313300 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201313400 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201313500 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201313600 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201313700 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201313800 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201314001 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201314002 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201314300 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201314400 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201331100 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201331200 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201331300 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201331400 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201331700 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201331800 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201332000 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201421101 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201421102 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201421201 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201421202 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201421300 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201421401 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201421402 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201421403 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201421500 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201421600 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201422302 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201422701 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201433600 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201452500 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201453200 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201453300 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201453401 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201530800 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201531800 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201531900 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201532001 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201532700 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201532800 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201533000 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201533300 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201533400 | Non-Rural |
| Harris | 48201533702 | Non-Rural |
Future OZ 2.0 Designations in Houston
On January 29, 2026, the U.S. Census Bureau released its five-year American Community Survey (ACS) estimates for the 2020–2024 period. These data determine which census tracts are eligible for Opportunity Zone designation under the OZ 2.0 framework.
According to OpportunityZones.com analysis of the data, Texas has 2,420 census tracts that meet the statutory median family income and/or poverty rate eligibility thresholds. Under the 25 percent statutory cap, Texas may nominate up to 605 of those tracts for designation.
Each state’s nomination window opens on July 1, 2026 and remains open for up to 120 days. Upon receiving a state’s nominations, the U.S. Department of the Treasury has up to 60 days to review and formally designate the nominated tracts. Newly designated OZ 2.0 tracts will take effect on January 1, 2027.
To explore OZ 2.0 eligible tracts, visit the OZ 2.0 Eligibility Map.
