When Quota Balancing is selected for US-based surveys, you may balance respondents by two to six traits according to US census data. The number of traits you can balance by is affected by your sample size. For international surveys, Quota Balancing by census is available only by Age and Gender.

Using Quota Balancing for US Surveys

Balance your survey by the 2021 US Census at the total level in non-nested quota groups on up to six demographics: Gender, Age range, Income, Region (location), Race, or Hispanic Origin. The system will attempt to achieve the census percentages for each trait individually within an acceptable tolerance.

1. Click the Demographic Quotas dropdown and select Quota Balancing.
2. Check the boxes to select at least two traits to balance by.

⚠️ Note: N=300 minimum for 2–4 traits; N=600 minimum for 5 traits; N=800 minimum for 6 traits. To use Quota Balancing you need a minimum of two demographics — for balancing on one demographic only, use a preset Quota Group instead.

⚠️ Note: US Census Balancing for ages 18–65 is available upon request. Contact your Account Manager or support@aytm.com to discuss enabling this preset on your account.

Using Quota Balancing for International Surveys

For surveys fielded outside the US, age and gender balancing is available based on individual country census data.

1. With any country selected on the Target Market page, click the dropdown and select Quota Balancing.

All quotas reflect country census data and are fulfilled on a best-effort basis. To adjust these quotas or balance by only one demographic, choose Quota Groups instead.

Important Considerations

• For US surveys, you may balance by 2–6 traits according to census data. The number of traits available depends on sample size.
• Quota Balancing requires a minimum of 300 respondents.
• Use Quota Balancing only when your target market reflects the US Census and has an IR above 70%, or for international surveys, an IR above 20%.
• For the best results, wait until the survey completes before cleaning open-ended responses. The survey will automatically replace rejected responses.
• For exact balance at the intersection of demographic traits, use Quota Groups instead.
• When using Quota Balancing for US sample, respondents who self-describe as non-binary will not be excluded — they'll enter the survey based on other balancing criteria (e.g. age, income, region, or race).
• This feature creates quotas based on demographic traits only. To set a quota for a question in your survey, learn more here or contact support@aytm.com.