Wyoming secures 20 Opportunity Zones – 16 of them rural – to draw long-term private investment

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Official release

Source material from Wyoming Business Council. The wording below is the issuer’s statement.

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Wyoming secures 20 Opportunity Zones – 16 of them rural – to draw long-term private investment

Published:

November 5, 2026

Designations in nine counties take effect January 1, 2027, and last 10 years

CHEYENNE, Wyo. – The U.S. Department of the Treasury has designated 20 census tracts in Wyoming as Opportunity Zones under the program’s new, permanent framework. The new zones take effect January 1, 2027, and will remain in place for 10 years.

Opportunity Zones are a federal tax incentive that encourages investors to put capital gains into businesses and real estate in designated, lower-income communities. Investors who hold their investment for at least 10 years pay no federal tax on its growth. The program provides no government grants; it helps qualifying projects attract private investment.

The Wyoming zones span Albany, Campbell, Converse, Fremont, Johnson, Laramie, Natrona, Sweetwater and Uinta counties. Sixteen of the 20 are rural, which carries stronger incentives under the updated program: a 30 percent basis step-up after five years – triple the 10 percent available elsewhere – plus a lower bar for rehabilitating existing buildings.

“Wyoming communities have projects ready to go, and this designation gives investors a reason to look here first,” Governor Mark Gordon said. “These zones are a long-term tool for private investment in housing, businesses and jobs across our state.”

Governor Gordon convened an Opportunity Zone working group earlier this year to guide the State’s nominations. Led by the Wyoming Business Council and the Governor’s Office, the group included federal partners, local governments, economic development organizations and financial advisors. Because Wyoming had fewer than 25 eligible tracts, the State nominated every tract Treasury identified as eligible.

“An Opportunity Zone doesn’t build anything on its own, but it can make a good project easier to finance,” explained Connor Christiansen, WBC Economic Policy & Research Advisor. “We’ll work with communities and investors to put these zones to use.”

Communities, developers and investors interested in the new zones can find maps, eligibility details and resources at wbc.pub/WY_OZ, or contact Connor Christensen at [email protected].

Fact sheet: Wyoming’s Opportunity Zones

About 66,000 people live in Wyoming’s 20 Opportunity Zones, across nine counties.

Sources: Treasury/IRS Rev. Proc. 2026-14 (eligible tracts and rural flags); CDFI Fund notice of approval, October 29, 2026; Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 population estimates.

*Community names are approximate – the Fremont, Uinta and Campbell tracts cover large rural areas.

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Release text attributed to Wyoming Business Council. Consult the official publication for any subsequent corrections or updates.