EDDM® in North County San Diego: routes and homes by city
By Best Direct Mail, San Marcos · Route counts from USPS, refreshed daily
Every Door Direct Mail® lets you reach every home on the mail carrier routes you choose, without buying a mailing list. Here is how many routes and homes each North County city has, what it costs to reach all of them, and what we've learned mailing here from our shop in San Marcos.
Routes and homes by city
Together these eight cities have 420 EDDM® carrier routes reaching 293,964 homes and 20,115 businesses. The cost column is a complete mailing of our most popular 6.25 × 11 inch postcard to every home, including printing and postage.
| City | Routes | Homes | Businesses | Every home, all-in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Marcos | 46 | 35,501 | 2,767 | $15,436 |
| Escondido | 87 | 61,106 | 4,160 | $26,569 |
| Vista | 56 | 40,535 | 3,313 | $17,625 |
| Carlsbad | 72 | 47,055 | 3,985 | $20,460 |
| Oceanside | 89 | 73,173 | 3,518 | $31,816 |
| Poway | 34 | 17,242 | 1,551 | $7,497 |
| Ramona | 19 | 12,481 | 629 | $5,427 |
| Valley Center | 17 | 6,871 | 192 | $3,096 |
Counts are from the USPS EDDM® route map for the ZIP Codes that mainly serve each city, so a few routes near city lines may belong to a neighbor. Costs use our published EDDM® prices: printing plus $0.26 postage and 4¢ prep per piece.
You don't have to mail a whole city
Covering all of Escondido or Oceanside is a big mailing, and most businesses don't need it. Each ZIP Code is split into carrier routes of a few hundred homes each, and you can pick them one at a time. A restaurant might choose the routes within a short drive, a roofer the neighborhoods with older homes, and a tutoring center the routes with the most families. Our route planner shows homes, businesses, household income, age and homeownership for every route so you can choose.
A good first campaign is 2,500 to 5,000 homes close to your business, mailed two or three times a few weeks apart. See how much EDDM® costs at each quantity.
City by city
San Marcos
Our home base. A fast-growing city with Cal State San Marcos, newer family neighborhoods like San Elijo Hills, and plenty of young households, which suits services, restaurants and fitness. 46 routes reach 35,501 homes across ZIP Codes 92069 and 92078.
Escondido
The largest inland city in North County, with established neighborhoods, older homes and a busy downtown. Good ground for home services, auto, dental and local retail. 87 routes reach 61,106 homes across ZIP Codes 92025, 92026, 92027 and 92029.
Vista
A mix of family neighborhoods and one of the county's biggest business parks, so it is worth choosing between residential-only and every address here. 56 routes reach 40,535 homes across ZIP Codes 92081, 92083 and 92084.
Carlsbad
A coastal city with higher household incomes and a strong small-business community. Popular with real estate agents, home improvement and premium services. 72 routes reach 47,055 homes across ZIP Codes 92008, 92009, 92010 and 92011.
Oceanside
North County's largest city by population, stretching from the beach inland. Its size makes it easy to test one area before mailing the rest. 89 routes reach 73,173 homes across ZIP Codes 92054, 92056, 92057 and 92058.
Poway
A suburban city with large single-family neighborhoods, a natural fit for home services and family businesses. 34 routes reach 17,242 homes across ZIP Code 92064.
Ramona
A rural community with homes spread out over a large area, where mail reaches people that online ads often miss. 19 routes reach 12,481 homes across ZIP Code 92065.
Valley Center
Rural and spread out, with larger lots. A small number of routes covers the whole community. 17 routes reach 6,871 homes across ZIP Code 92082.
Tips for mailing in North County
- Skip businesses unless you sell to them. Cities like Vista and Carlsbad have thousands of business addresses. Residential-only keeps your postcards in front of households.
- Time it around the season. Home services do well before summer heat and the winter rains, and back-to-school and the holidays are busy for retail, tutoring and restaurants.
- Say you're local. Naming the neighborhood or city on the postcard ("Serving Escondido since…") builds trust faster than a generic offer.
- Track the response. Use a code, a QR code or a dedicated phone number so you know which routes work before you mail more of them.