diff --git a/utils/sas_profiler.py b/utils/sas_profiler.py
index 2d70964..3adc4d6 100644
--- a/utils/sas_profiler.py
+++ b/utils/sas_profiler.py
@@ -117,8 +117,12 @@ larger than the file, pyreadstat just hands back one chunk."""
 
 
 PARTITION_NAME_PATTERNS: Tuple[re.Pattern, ...] = (
-    re.compile(r"^state$", re.IGNORECASE),
-    re.compile(r"^state_?code$", re.IGNORECASE),
+    # ``state`` or ``state_code`` / ``statecode`` appearing as a full token
+    # anywhere in the column name. Uses underscore / start / end as token
+    # boundaries so we catch STATE, STATE_CODE, HOME_STATE,
+    # ADDR_LINE3_STATE, BIRTH_STATE_CODE, etc. without matching STATUS,
+    # ESTATE, INTERSTATE, or STATEWIDE.
+    re.compile(r"(?:^|_)state(?:_?code)?(?:_|$)", re.IGNORECASE),
 )
 """Only columns whose name matches one of these patterns are ever considered
 partition candidates. This deliberately ignores generic low-cardinality