The Opportunity Zone (OZ) program uses federal tax incentives to encourage private investment in low-income communities and was made into a permanent, decennial program through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025 (OBBBA). In June, WRRB released a brief which expands upon The Research Bureau’s 2019 report Opportunity Zones in Worcester: Characteristics of Worcester’s Designated Areas by shifting attention to the next round of OZ designations and examining all 49 OZ eligible census tracts across Worcester County, including the 26 in the City of Worcester. A map of Worcester County’s first-round OZ census tracts is included on page four.

Massachusetts submitted its nominations to the U.S. Department of the Treasury on October 2, 2026. The nominated tracts still remain subject to Treasury certification. Once certified, the OZ designations will take effect on January 1, 2027 and remain in place through December 31, 2036.

The Healey-Driscoll Administration nominated 13 census tracts in Worcester County. Five are classified as rural and eight as non-rural. As such, WRRB updated its map to provide demographic, economic, tax and transportation data to help users compare nominated and non-nominated tracts. Additionally, users can explore the statewide Opportunity Zone nomination map to view all nominated census tracts across the Commonwealth.