THIS ARTICLE IS FOR: ✅ Self-Serve
Stage: Trial / Onboarding / Live
Owner: CS
Last updated: 2026-01-20
TL;DR
People State filters by where an individual says they live, not where the company is based.
This filter is extremely niche and should almost never be used for B2B.
In most cases, Company State is the correct and safer option.
Only use People State when the individual must physically live in a specific state or province.
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 state usually removes good leads, shrinks your TAM, and lowers accuracy, which is why People State is almost always the wrong choice.
What the People State filter actually does
The People State filter targets individuals based on the state or province listed in their personal profile location.
It does not look at:
Company headquarters
Business operating location
Legal company registration
It only uses what the person entered on their own profile.
Why the People State filter is almost never needed
1. Many people don’t list a state
Personal profiles frequently contain:
No state listed
Only a country
Only a city
Vague regions (e.g., “East Coast,” “Midwest”)
“Remote,” “Hybrid,” or “Global”
Outdated or incorrect data
If you use People State, all of these people are automatically excluded, even if they’re perfect leads.
2. People often live in a different state than their company
Remote work breaks the link between personal location and company HQ.
Examples:
CEO lives in Florida, company HQ is New York
Marketing manager lives in Colorado, company HQ is Texas
Founder lives in Nevada, company HQ is California
CTO lives in North Carolina, company HQ is Washington
👉 People State ≠ Company State
3. In B2B, personal state rarely defines relevance
For most B2B offers, what matters is:
Where the company is headquartered
Where the business operates
Where compliance or legal rules apply
The personal home state of an employee is almost never relevant.
People State vs Company State, what’s the difference?
Company State
Targets where the business is headquartered.
This matters for:
Local or physical B2B services
State-based regulations
Licensing or compliance
State-specific programs or incentives
People State
Targets where the individual personally lives, which is:
Often missing
Frequently outdated
Commonly irrelevant
Often different from company HQ
👉 For almost all B2B targeting, Company State is the correct filter.
The ONLY time you should use People State
Use People State only when your offer requires the individual themselves to live in a specific U.S. state or Canadian province.
This means:
You do not care where the company is headquartered
You only care where the person physically resides
Valid use cases
Lawyers licensed only in specific states
Tax advisors serving residents of one state
Healthcare professionals restricted by state licensing
Real estate agents targeting in-state buyers
Fitness or wellness coaches offering in-person sessions
Therapists limited to licensed jurisdictions
Local workshops, events, or in-person programs
If the person must live in that state → People State is appropriate.
When you should NOT use People State (almost always)
Do not use People State if you sell:
Marketing services
Lead generation
SaaS
Consulting
Automation or operations tools
Sales or revenue services
Tech services
Recruiting
Any remote or digital service
In these cases:
Use Company State if geography truly matters
Or skip state filters entirely if your service is remote
Important limitation: state variations in personal profiles
People list states inconsistently, such as:
CA / California
NY / New York State
Los Angeles, CA (no state field)
San Francisco Bay Area
GTA (Greater Toronto Area)
“Remote – Texas”
Even if you include variations, you will still lose leads due to missing or inconsistent data.
Example scenarios
Scenario 1: Lawyer licensed only in Florida
Clients must live in Florida.
→ Use People State = FL
Scenario 2: Fitness coach offering in-person sessions in California
Clients must live in CA.
→ Use People State
Scenario 3: Marketing agency targeting New York companies
You care where the company is based.
→ Use Company State = NY
→ ❌ Do not use People State
Scenario 4: SaaS targeting U.S. companies
Personal state is irrelevant.
→ Use Company Country = USA
→ Ignore People State entirely
Expected outcome
Using Company State: cleaner, more complete B2B lists
Using People State (only when required): individuals who actually meet residency requirements
Troubleshooting / FAQs
Q: Why did my list size drop sharply?
You likely filtered by People State and excluded profiles with missing or remote location data.
Q: Can I combine People State with Company State?
You can, but it’s almost never recommended unless residency is mandatory.
Q: Is People State ever better than Company State?
Only when the individual’s residency is a hard requirement.
Q: Should I test People State just to experiment?
No. It usually creates misleading results and unnecessary exclusions.
Callouts
If ListKit runs campaigns for you (Managed Program)
What ListKit handles:
Defaulting to Company State for B2B targeting
Avoiding People State unless legally or operationally required
What you should do:
Clearly communicate if your offer has residency or licensing restrictions
How to request changes:
Notify your account manager if People State is truly required
If you use ListKit self-serve (DIY)
Steps in the product:
Ignore People State for standard B2B searches
Use Company State only when geography truly matters
Skip state filters entirely for remote offers
Final takeaway
The People State filter is extremely niche.
Use it only when:
The individual must personally live in a specific state or province
Physical presence or legal residency is required
For all normal B2B targeting:
❌ Do not use People State
✅ Use Company State instead
❌ Avoid shrinking your TAM due to incomplete personal location data
This keeps your searches accurate, scalable, and aligned with real B2B targeting logic.