Opportunity Zones in Delaware

Delaware has 25 Qualified Opportunity Zones, including 10 rural Opportunity Zones. These OZ 1.0 zones remain in effect through December 31, 2028. In the second half of 2026, Delaware will nominate approximately 25 new Opportunity Zones under the OZ 2.0 framework, with those designations taking effect on January 1, 2027.

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.

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.

• The Beginner's Guide to Opportunity Zones
• What Is a Qualified Opportunity Fund?
• The Two Ways to Invest in Opportunity Zones

The census tracts below were designated in 2018 under IRS Notice 2018-48 and correspond to 2010 U.S. Census tract boundaries. These OZ 1.0 designations remain in effect through December 31, 2028.

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.

Across Delaware, 61 census tracts (22 rural, 39 non-rural) meet the statutory median-family-income and/or poverty-rate thresholds. Delaware submitted its OZ 2.0 nominations to the U.S. Treasury on September 28, 2026, nominating 25 of those eligible tracts (12 rural, 13 non-rural) — the maximum allowed under the 25 percent statutory cap. Approved designations take effect on January 1, 2027. Nominated tracts are marked and listed first in the table below.