CalEPA Releases Final 2026 Disadvantaged Communities Designation
What you need to know: The California Environmental Protection Agency has released its final 2026 Disadvantaged Communities (DAC) Designation, which helps prioritize the investments of proceeds from the state’s Cap-and-Invest Program.
Sep. 18, 2026
Media Contacts:
CalEPA Communications and External Affairs, cepacomm@calepa.ca.gov
SACRAMENTO, CA – The California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) today released its final 2026 Disadvantaged Communities (DAC) designation using the newest version of CalEnviroScreen. Areas designated as disadvantaged communities are included as priority populations for the California Climate Investments program, funded by Cap-and-Invest auction proceeds.
The 2026 DAC designation builds on lessons learned from previous designations and utilizes the latest and best available data. CalEPA defines communities in terms of census tracts and includes the following in the 2026 Final DAC designation:
- Census tracts with the highest 25 percent of CalEnviroScreen 5.0 overall scores.
- Census tracts with the highest 5 percent of CalEnviroScreen 5.0 pollution burden scores.
- Census tracts that overlap at least 25 percent with a 2022 DAC-designated census tract based on CalEnviroScreen 4.0.
- Lands under the control of federally recognized tribes, with updated tribal boundaries data.
“California has long recognized the value of designating communities that deserve our increased attention and investments. This DAC update is informed by the best available data on pollution and socioeconomic disadvantage at a statewide level, so we can focus our attention where it’s needed most. I’m proud of California’s legacy of investing in the most pollution-burdened communities so that we can improve public health, quality of life and economic opportunities, and at the same time, address the root causes of climate change.”
– Secretary Garcia
CalEPA uses CalEnviroScreen to meet the requirements of SB 535 (De León, Chapter 830, Statutes of 2012) and AB 1550 (Gomez, Chapter 369, Statutes of 2016), which require CalEPA to designate DACs based on certain criteria, and which require a minimum of 35% of California Climate Investments to benefit DACs and other priority populations.
CalEnviroScreen 5.0
In July 2026, the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment released CalEnviroScreen 5.0, the latest version of California’s tool to identify and prioritize communities affected by multiple forms of pollution, health, and socioeconomic challenges.
For the first time, CalEnviroScreen was updated using a co-design process with eight community-based organizations from the state’s most pollution-burdened areas. CalEnviroScreen Version 5.0 includes more recent data, updated census tract geography, improved methodology, and two additional indicators.
CalEPA uses the improved CalEnviroScreen data to determine the designation of DACs, and to better understand and address environmental concerns in California communities.
California Climate Investments
Areas designated as disadvantaged communities are included within the broader definition of California Climate Investments “priority populations.”
The California Climate Investments programs distribute funding to priority populations throughout the state, as well as to non-priority population communities. Overall, the California Climate Investments programs reach many California populations while also exceeding investment requirements to disadvantaged communities. The priority populations include not only designated DACs, but also low-income communities, the ½ mile area in which low-income communities and households may neighbor CalEPA-defined DACs, and all low-income households anywhere in the state, regardless of location. The updated Priority Populations Map is available online.
Along with the CalEPA Final DAC Designation and the updated Priority Populations Map, the California Air Resources Board has concurrently released updated guidance on the definitions of priority populations in Appendix A of the Funding Guidelines for Agencies that Administer California Climate Investments.
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