diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 872316a4..386d39e7 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -39,6 +39,10 @@ db_migrate:
 db_rollback:
 	docker-compose run ${RAILS_CONTAINER} rake db:rollback
 
+.PHONY: db_seed
+db_seed:
+	docker-compose run ${RAILS_CONTAINER} rake db:seed
+
 .PHONY: test
 test: bg
 	docker-compose run operationcode-psql bash -c "while ! psql --host=operationcode-psql --username=postgres -c 'SELECT 1'; do sleep 5; done;"
diff --git a/apiary.apib b/apiary.apib
index e170bf56..62255f26 100644
--- a/apiary.apib
+++ b/apiary.apib
@@ -393,12 +393,13 @@ API endpoints that Operation Code's Rails backend makes available to its React f
             errors: "Some error message"
         }
 
-## User | Count By Location [/api/v1/users/by_location{?zip,city,lat_long,radius}]
+## User | Count By Location [/api/v1/users/by_location{?state,zip,city,lat_long,radius}]
 
 ### By Location [GET]
 
 + Parameters
 
+    + state (string, optional) - String of comma-separated state abbreviations, i.e. 'TX', or 'TX, CA'
     + zip (string, optional) - String of comma-separated zip code(s), i.e. '80126', or '80126, 80203'
     + city (string, optional) - A string of a 'City, State, County' (i.e. 'Denver, CO, US')
     + lat_long (integer, optional) - Comma-separated integer latitude and longitude, i.e. 30.285648, -97.742052
@@ -408,6 +409,12 @@ API endpoints that Operation Code's Rails backend makes available to its React f
 
     + Body
 
+            {
+                state: 'TX, CA'
+            }
+
+            /*or*/
+
             {
                 zip: '80126, 80203'
             }
diff --git a/app/lib/format_data.rb b/app/lib/format_data.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e2f23e57
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/lib/format_data.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+class FormatData
+
+  # Converts a comma-separated string into an array of its contents.
+  #
+  # @param comma_separated_string [String] String of comma-separated values, i.e '80123, 80202'
+  # @return [Array] An array of strings, i.e. ['80123', '80202']
+  #
+  def self.csv_to_array(comma_separated_string)
+    comma_separated_string.split(',').map(&:strip)
+  end
+end
diff --git a/app/lib/users_by_location.rb b/app/lib/users_by_location.rb
index 96ea34c4..af6d0813 100644
--- a/app/lib/users_by_location.rb
+++ b/app/lib/users_by_location.rb
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 class UsersByLocation
   def initialize(params)
+    @state = params[:state]
     @zip = params[:zip]
     @city = params[:city]
     @lat_long = params[:lat_long]
@@ -7,7 +8,9 @@ def initialize(params)
   end
 
   def count
-    if @zip.present?
+    if @state.present?
+      User.count_by_state @state
+    elsif @zip.present?
       User.count_by_zip @zip
     elsif @city.present?
       User.count_by_location @city, @radius
diff --git a/app/models/user.rb b/app/models/user.rb
index 16c76b5b..1cf4202e 100644
--- a/app/models/user.rb
+++ b/app/models/user.rb
@@ -29,17 +29,32 @@ class User < ApplicationRecord
 
   scope :mentors, -> { where(mentor: true) }
   scope :by_zip, ->(zip) { where(zip: zip) }
+  scope :by_state, ->(state) { where(state: state) }
 
   # Returns a count of all users with the passed in zip code(s)
   #
   # @param zip_codes [String] String of comma-separated zip code(s), i.e. '80126', or '80126, 80203'
+  # @return [Integer] A count of the requested users.
   #
   def self.count_by_zip(zip_codes)
     return 0 unless zip_codes.present?
 
-    zips = zip_codes.split(',').map(&:strip)
+    zips = FormatData.csv_to_array(zip_codes)
 
-    by_zip(zips).count
+    self.by_zip(zips).count
+  end
+
+  # Returns a count of all users with the passed in state abbreviations.
+  #
+  # @param state_abbreviations [String] String of comma-separated state_abbreviations, i.e. 'CO', or 'CO, TX'
+  # @return [Integer] A count of the requested users.
+  #
+  def self.count_by_state(state_abbreviations)
+    return 0 unless state_abbreviations.present?
+
+    states = FormatData.csv_to_array(state_abbreviations)
+
+    self.by_state(states).count
   end
 
   # Returns a count of all users within the passed in location.  The location can
@@ -48,6 +63,7 @@ def self.count_by_zip(zip_codes)
   # @param location [String || Array] Either a 'City, State, County' or [Latitude, Longitude]
   #   For example, 'Denver, CO, US'.
   # @param radius [Integer] Include results within the radius' distance from the location, in miles.
+  # @return [Integer] A count of the requested users.
   # @see https://github.com/alexreisner/geocoder#for-activerecord-models
   #
   def self.count_by_location(location, radius=20)
diff --git a/test/controllers/api/v1/users_controller_test.rb b/test/controllers/api/v1/users_controller_test.rb
index c5f0b2e2..19ed1b32 100644
--- a/test/controllers/api/v1/users_controller_test.rb
+++ b/test/controllers/api/v1/users_controller_test.rb
@@ -11,11 +11,16 @@ class Api::V1::UsersControllerTest < ActionDispatch::IntegrationTest
   end
 
   test ":by_location returns User.count of users located in the passed in location" do
-    tom = create :user, zip: '78705'
-    sam = create :user, zip: '78756'
+    tom = create :user
+    sam = create :user
 
-    tom.update latitude: 30.285648, longitude: -97.742052
-    sam.update latitude: 30.312601, longitude: -97.738591
+    tom.update_columns latitude: 30.285648, longitude: -97.742052, zip: '78705', state: 'TX'
+    sam.update_columns latitude: 30.312601, longitude: -97.738591, zip: '78756', state: 'TX'
+
+    params = { state: 'TX' }
+    get api_v1_users_by_location_url(params), headers: @headers, as: :json
+    assert_equal({ 'user_count' => 2 }, response.parsed_body)
+    assert_equal 200, response.status
 
     params = { zip: '78705' }
     get api_v1_users_by_location_url(params), as: :json
@@ -25,13 +30,16 @@ class Api::V1::UsersControllerTest < ActionDispatch::IntegrationTest
     params = { zip: '78705, 78756' }
     get api_v1_users_by_location_url(params), as: :json
     assert_equal({ 'user_count' => 2 }, response.parsed_body)
+    assert_equal 200, response.status
 
     params = { lat_long: [30.285648, -97.742052] }
     get api_v1_users_by_location_url(params), as: :json
     assert_equal({ 'user_count' => 2 }, response.parsed_body)
+    assert_equal 200, response.status
 
     params = { lat_long: [30.285648, -97.742052], radius: 1 }
     get api_v1_users_by_location_url(params), as: :json
     assert_equal({ 'user_count' => 1 }, response.parsed_body)
+    assert_equal 200, response.status
   end
 end
diff --git a/test/lib/format_data_test.rb b/test/lib/format_data_test.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e103c50d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/lib/format_data_test.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+require 'test_helper'
+
+class FormatDataTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
+  test '.csv_to_array' do
+    results = FormatData.csv_to_array '80202'
+    assert_equal ['80202'], results
+
+    results = FormatData.csv_to_array '80202, 80126'
+    assert_equal ['80202', '80126'], results
+
+    results = FormatData.csv_to_array 'TX, MN'
+    assert_equal ['TX', 'MN'], results
+  end
+end
diff --git a/test/lib/users_by_location_test.rb b/test/lib/users_by_location_test.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..bd0bb24a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/lib/users_by_location_test.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+require 'test_helper'
+
+class UsersByLocationTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
+  setup do
+    tom = create :user
+    sam = create :user
+
+    tom.update_columns latitude: 39.763034, longitude: -104.961969, zip: '80205', state: 'CO'
+    sam.update_columns latitude: 30.312601, longitude: -97.738591, zip: '78756', state: 'TX'
+  end
+
+  test '#count by state' do
+    params  = { state: 'CO' }
+    results = UsersByLocation.new(params).count
+    assert_equal 1, results
+
+    params  = { state: 'TX' }
+    results = UsersByLocation.new(params).count
+    assert_equal 1, results
+
+    params  = { state: 'CO, TX' }
+    results = UsersByLocation.new(params).count
+    assert_equal 2, results
+  end
+
+  test '#count by zip' do
+    params  = { zip: '80205' }
+    results = UsersByLocation.new(params).count
+    assert_equal 1, results
+
+    params  = { zip: '78756' }
+    results = UsersByLocation.new(params).count
+    assert_equal 1, results
+
+    params  = { zip: '80205, 78756' }
+    results = UsersByLocation.new(params).count
+    assert_equal 2, results
+  end
+
+  test '#count by lat_long' do
+    params  = { lat_long: [39.763034, -104.961969] }
+    results = UsersByLocation.new(params).count
+    assert_equal 1, results
+
+    params  = { lat_long: [30.312601, -97.738591] }
+    results = UsersByLocation.new(params).count
+    assert_equal 1, results
+  end
+end
+
diff --git a/test/models/user_test.rb b/test/models/user_test.rb
index e0d88242..2cfa11fa 100644
--- a/test/models/user_test.rb
+++ b/test/models/user_test.rb
@@ -124,4 +124,23 @@ def stub_geocoder
   test 'it returns a users full name' do
     assert_equal 'first last', User.new(first_name: 'first', last_name: 'last').name
   end
+
+  test '.count_by_state returns a count of all users within the passed in state(s)' do
+    tom = create :user
+    sam = create :user
+    bob = create :user
+
+    tom.update_columns state: 'TX'
+    sam.update_columns state: 'TX'
+    bob.update_columns state: 'CA'
+
+    results = User.count_by_state 'TX'
+    assert_equal 2, results
+
+    results = User.count_by_state 'TX, CA'
+    assert_equal 3, results
+
+    results = User.count_by_state ''
+    assert_equal 0, results
+  end
 end