Thanks for joining us here. I have a workaround for QuickBooks Online Essentials you can try.
We can create a custom field and add the state from there. This will be added to the filters on the reports so you can generate a sales by state report. Please follow these steps:
Once done, create a sales transaction as usual and you'll see the custom field. Enter the state in it and save the transaction.
Then, I suggest you use the Sales by Customer Detail report. You can search it on the Reports menu. From the Rows/columns drop-down, select the custom field you created. This will group the data by state.
This is how it looks like:
Also, check this link if you need to personalize the report: Customize reports in QuickBooks Online. This contains detailed steps on how to fully personalize it to get the data you need.
Do you have other concerns? Leave a comment again here and we'll respond as soon as we can. Thanks!