MySQL WordPress search for value in array that contains strings

Question

I'm having difficulty determing how to perform a select on an array in my WordPress database.

I have the following:

$results = $this->wpdb->get_results("SELECT JobId, title, category, description, cities, states FROM ".$this->tableName." WHERE states = 'SC'");

The states are (unfortunately) in a an array that contains strings, like so:

AL, CA, CA

AL, MN, FL, NM, TX

CO
FL, SC, SC, SC

NM

SC

Some of the JobIDs are in multiple states, or in the same state, but different cities.

I have a filter (HTML form input/drop-downs), where I can select results by keyword, states, or category. I want to select all results from the table that that match the selections in my form. Using my example above, I want to receive all results that contain 'SC'. I should receive 2 results.

Based on other similar answers, such as this (mysql: how to select imploded array value), Here's what I've tried:

public function getJobs()
{
    $result = [];
    $category = $this->wpdb->get_results("(SELECT states FROM ".$this->tableName." WHERE FIND_IN_SET('SC','states')
            UNION 
            (SELECT JobId, title, category, description, cities FROM ".$this->tableName." WHERE ".$query.") 
            ORDER BY category ASC");
    foreach ($category as $row){
        $result[$row->category] = $row->category;
    }

    return $result;
}

I was hoping to search the states array, which contains strings, and combine that with another search on the other columns. I tried explode, but that didn't work, because it's an array.

Originally, I had this:

$postings = $this->wpdb->get_results("SELECT JobId, title, category, description, cities, states FROM ".$this->tableName." WHERE ".$query." ORDER BY created_at ASC");

...which works fine for displaying all results by category. Right now, I'm just trying to generate results by state.

(Note: I've been reading that querying a string isn't the right option, and inserting the data into the database (from my JSON file) is the better way to do this. Unfortunately, I couldn't figure that out over the past couple of days. I'll continue to keep going through other posts though.)

Just some pointers in the right direction would be appreciated.

Thanks.

Stephen