Quick answer
How do I target a US state with a residential proxy?
Write state- plus the two-letter postal code in lower case after country-us: USERNAME-country-us-state-fl returns a residential IP in Florida. MetroProxies includes state targeting for all 50 US states and Washington, D.C. on every plan, from $0.50/GB as of October 2026. No KYC: pay in crypto.
How does the state segment work?
| Segment | state-{code}, two-letter USPS code in lower case |
|---|---|
| Coverage | all 50 US states and Washington, D.C. |
| Example | USERNAME-country-us-state-wa (Washington State) |
| D.C. | state-dc |
| Price | Included; from $0.50/GB (October 2026) |
| Works with | city-, zip-, asn-, session- and ttl- segments |
When is a state better than a city?
Use the state when the thing you check changes at the state line, or when the city is too small to rely on.
- State-level rules on public pages: sales tax shown at checkout, state lottery and sports-betting pages, alcohol delivery, and the privacy notices some sites show only to residents of states with a consumer privacy law (California, Virginia, Colorado, Texas and the other states with a law in force in October 2026).
- Small towns: a request for a town of 20,000 may find no IP online at night; the state almost always has one.
- Statewide samples: a rotating state session spreads requests across many cities, which suits averages.
One caution: a state request gives you any city in that state. If your check depends on the metro (local search, delivery zones), use the city.
Which state codes are used most?
| State | Segment | Largest city with a page |
|---|---|---|
| California | state-ca | Los Angeles |
| Texas | state-tx | Houston |
| Florida | state-fl | Jacksonville |
| New York | state-ny | New York City |
| Illinois | state-il | Chicago |
| Pennsylvania | state-pa | Philadelphia |
| Ohio | state-oh | Columbus |
| Georgia | state-ga | Atlanta |
| North Carolina | state-nc | Charlotte |
| Arizona | state-az | Phoenix |
| Washington | state-wa | Seattle |
| District of Columbia | state-dc | Washington |
How do I fall back from a city to its state?
Try the narrow request first, then widen one segment at a time, and record which level answered. In pseudo-code:
USERNAME-country-us-state-nm-city-albuquerque-zip-87102- If that fails:
USERNAME-country-us-state-nm-city-albuquerque - If that fails:
USERNAME-country-us-state-nm
Store the level next to each result. A price recorded from "New Mexico, any city" should not be compared blindly with one recorded from ZIP 87102. The username reference lists the order of the segments; the Python example implements this fallback.
What else do people ask about state targeting?
Can I target US territories such as Puerto Rico?
This site covers the 50 states and Washington, D.C. Puerto Rico and other territories have their own country codes in most proxy systems; ask support before you plan a job there.
Does a state IP use the state's time zone?
The IP has no time zone; your browser or tool does. Several states span two zones (Texas, Florida, Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana and others), so set the zone that matches the city you expect.
Is state targeting more reliable than city targeting?
It finds an IP more often, because the pool is larger. It is less precise, because any city in the state qualifies. Use it as a fallback, not as a replacement for the city when the city matters.
What does state targeting cost?
Nothing extra. It is part of every plan, from $1.50 for 1 GB to $0.50/GB at volume (October 2026).
Sources (2)
- US State Privacy Legislation Tracker — IAPP (2026-10-18)
- City and town population totals: 2020-2024 — US Census Bureau (2026-10-18)