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How do I use the People location filters (Country, State, City)?

Written by Andre Haykal Jr

TL;DR

  • The People Location filters (Country, State, City) filter by where an individual says they live, not where the company is based.

  • This filter is extremely niche and should almost always be avoided for B2B.

  • Using it incorrectly can drastically shrink your TAM and remove high-quality leads.

  • Only use People City when the person must physically live in a specific city.


When you’d use this / Why it matters

In modern B2B, people work remotely, relocate often, and live far from their company’s headquarters.
Filtering by a person’s city usually introduces inaccuracy and unnecessary exclusions, which is why People City is almost never the right choice.


Why you should almost never use the People City filter

1. People move, companies don’t

In remote-first environments, people often:

  • Live in a different city than their employer

  • Work internationally

  • Travel or relocate frequently

👉 People City ≠ Company City


2. Many profiles don’t list a usable city

Personal profiles often include:

  • No city at all

  • Only a country

  • Vague regions (e.g., “West Coast”)

  • “Remote,” “Worldwide,” or joke locations

Using People City automatically excludes:

  • Remote workers

  • Profiles with missing or vague data

  • High-quality leads who simply didn’t update their location


3. Where someone lives rarely defines your ICP

Examples:

  • Marketing manager lives in Austin, company HQ is New York

  • CTO lives in Lisbon, company is U.S.-based

  • Founder lives in Miami, HQ is in Delaware

For B2B relevance, company location matters, personal city does not.


People City vs Company City, what’s the difference?

Company City

Targets where the business is headquartered.
This matters for:

  • Local or physical B2B services

  • Regulatory or legal constraints

  • Regional pricing

  • Geographic ICP requirements


People City

Targets where the individual personally lives, which is:

  • Often irrelevant

  • Frequently missing

  • Often outdated

  • Commonly different from company HQ

For almost all B2B use cases, don’t use People Location filters.


The ONLY time you should use People City

Use People City only when your service requires the individual themselves to live in a specific city.

This means:

  • You do not care where the company is headquartered

  • You only care where the person physically lives

Valid use cases

  • Local fitness, wellness, or coaching services

  • Real estate services targeting city residents

  • Lawyers serving residents of a specific city

  • In-person events, workshops, or training

  • Services requiring physical presence

  • Hyper-local consumer or professional services

  • Local tax or accounting services

  • Tax advisors serving residents of one state or province

  • Lawyers licensed in a specific jurisdiction

  • Therapists limited to licensed jurisdictions

  • Coaching or consulting limited to residents

If the person must live in that city → People City is appropriate.


When you should NOT use People City

Do not use People City if you sell:

  • Marketing services

  • Lead generation

  • SaaS

  • Consulting

  • Automation or operations tools

  • Recruiting (use Company Location City if the role must be local)

  • B2B technology

  • Any remote or digital service

In these cases:

  • Use City under Company Location if you must target a city

  • Or skip city filters entirely


Important limitation: city name variations

Personal city data appears in many formats:

  • Los Angeles

  • LA

  • Los Angeles, CA

  • Greater Los Angeles Area

  • Los Angeles Metropolitan Area

  • LA County

If you must use People City:

  • Include all realistic variations

  • Still expect missing data and reduced coverage

State data is just as inconsistent (CA vs California, "Remote – Texas", GTA). Even with every variation included, expect missing data.


Example scenarios

Scenario 1: Real estate agent in Dubai

Clients must live in Dubai.
→ Use People City = Dubai


Scenario 2: Local fitness coach in Toronto

Clients must live in Toronto.
→ Use People City = Toronto


Scenario 3: Marketing agency targeting Los Angeles companies

You care where the company is based.
→ Use Company City = Los Angeles
→ ❌ Do not use People City


Scenario 4: B2B SaaS targeting U.S. companies

Personal city is irrelevant.
→ Use Company Country = USA
→ Ignore People City entirely


Scenario 5: Lawyer licensed in the UK

Clients must live in the UK.
→ Use People Location Country = United Kingdom


Scenario 6: Coaching program for UAE residents

Residency is required.
→ Use People Location Country = UAE


Scenario 7: Lawyer licensed only in Florida

Clients must live in Florida.
→ Use People Location State = FL


Expected outcome

  • Using Company City: accurate, scalable B2B lists

  • Using People City (only when required): individuals who actually meet local residency needs


Troubleshooting / FAQs

Why did my list shrink dramatically?
You likely filtered by People City and excluded profiles with missing or remote location data.

Can I combine People City with Company City?
You can, but it’s almost never recommended.

Is People City ever better than Company City?
Only when personal residency is required.

Should I test People City “just to see”?
No. It usually creates misleading results and unnecessary exclusions.


Related articles


Final takeaway

The People City filter is extremely niche.

Use it only when:

  • The individual must personally live in a specific city

  • Physical presence is required

For all normal B2B targeting:

  • ❌ Ignore People City

  • ✅ Use Company City instead

  • ❌ Don’t restrict your TAM unnecessarily

This keeps your searches accurate, scalable, and aligned with your real ICP.

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