Home care marketing in San Marcos:
a direct mail plan for senior care
By Best Direct Mail, San Marcos · Numbers from USPS and the US Census Bureau
San Marcos is our home town. It is known for its university and its young families, but it also has some of North County's oldest neighborhoods. Retirees have lived around Lake San Marcos since the 1960s, and many homeowners in the older parts of the city have stayed for decades. Several mobile home parks in the city are reserved for residents 55 and older.
Two groups decide on senior care: the older adult and a grown son or daughter who helps. In San Marcos they often live in different neighborhoods, so a good plan reaches both. Below we start with the public numbers for each ZIP Code, then go neighborhood by neighborhood: who lives there, what to offer and how to mail it. After that come home care versus assisted living, a year of mailings and what every senior care postcard in California should include.
San Marcos by ZIP Code
| ZIP Code | Homes (routes) | Residents 65 or older | Residents 75 or older | Seniors living alone | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 92069 Central San Marcos, Richland, Twin Oaks Valley and Coronado Hills | 16,158 (21) | 12% | 5% | about 1,330 | $96,771 |
| 92078 San Elijo Hills, Lake San Marcos, Old Creek Ranch, Discovery Hills and North City | 19,370 (25) | 17% | 8% | about 2,140 | $120,268 |
What the columns tell you:
- Residents 65 and 75 or older: where older adults make up the biggest share of the neighborhood, and so where EDDM® wastes the fewest cards. The need for daily help grows with age.
- Seniors living alone: households of one person 65 or older. They are the people most likely to need help at home, and the ones whose families worry most.
- Median household income: higher incomes point to private-pay, live-in and full-service care. Lower incomes point to clear hourly rates, short visits and the benefits you accept.
These figures cover whole ZIP Codes, and single routes inside them can be quite different. Our EDDM® route planner shows income, age and household size for every route before you choose.
Homes and carrier routes are from the USPS EDDM® route map. Residents 65 and 75 or older, seniors living alone and income are US Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates for the ZIP Code area. Seniors living alone are one-person households of someone 65 or older.
What a mailing costs: $2,682 for 5,000 homes with our recommended 8.5 × 11 EDDM® postcard, including printing and postage. See our EDDM® prices for other quantities.
What to mail in each neighborhood
Lake San Marcos (92078)
Built around the lake and its golf course from the 1960s on, with single-family homes, condos and many residents who are retired. Many have lived here for a long time and want to stay, which makes this the clearest home care neighborhood in the city.
- What to offer: help that keeps people in their own homes: a few hours a week of help with meals, errands and housework, rides to appointments, and more care after a hospital stay. A free in-home assessment is an easy first step.
- How to mail: EDDM® to the routes around the lake, every month or so. The area is compact, so a few routes cover most of it.
Central San Marcos and Richland (92069)
The older heart of the city, around San Marcos Boulevard, Mission Road and the Richland neighborhood, with homes from the 1960s to the 90s, apartments and several of the city's mobile home parks. Long-time residents live next to young families, and many households look closely at cost.
- What to offer: clear hourly rates, short visits, and whether you accept long-term care insurance or veterans benefits. Spanish on the back of the card reaches more families here.
- How to mail: EDDM® to the routes closest to your office, or a mailing list of households by age if you want older residents only.
Twin Oaks Valley and Coronado Hills (92069)
North of the city center, Twin Oaks Valley has large lots and horse properties, and Coronado Hills has hillside homes with views. Owners here tend to have higher incomes and have often been in their homes for many years. Large homes on big lots are also harder to keep up alone.
- What to offer: full-service home care, live-in or around-the-clock care, memory care at home and a care manager the family can call.
- How to mail: a mailing list filtered by age and length of residence, since the homes are spread out. EDDM® works on the denser routes in Coronado Hills.
San Elijo Hills and Old Creek Ranch (92078)
Newer, family neighborhoods in the south of the city. Few residents here need care themselves, but many are the grown children who arrange care for a parent, whether the parent lives nearby or is about to move closer.
- What to offer: peace of mind for the family: updates after every visit, respite care so the family caregiver can take a break, and help for a parent who is moving to San Marcos. For assisted living, a tour with lunch the whole family can join.
- Timing: before Thanksgiving, when families get together, and in January, when many of them start calling.
- How to mail: EDDM®. Nearly every home here is a family, so mailing whole routes reaches them at the lowest cost per card.
Home care or assisted living: who to mail in San Marcos
- Home care agencies can mail every home on the routes they serve with EDDM®, or use a mailing list to reach households by age and how long they have lived in the home. The table above shows where older residents and seniors living alone are most common.
- Assisted living and memory care communities do best mailing every home within a few miles, since families want a parent close by. Pick the routes around your community in our EDDM® route planner and keep the card about the community itself.
- Both should mail the same homes again and again. Families often take months to decide, and the card on the counter when they are ready is the one they call.
Mail also works well beyond homes. Doctors' offices, hospital discharge planners and senior centers refer families every week, and a card or letter to them a few times a year keeps your name in mind. Ask us about a mailing to referral partners in San Marcos and nearby cities.
A year of senior care mailings in San Marcos
| When | Who gets it | What the card says |
|---|---|---|
| Every 4 to 6 weeks | The same routes around your office or community | Who you are, what you help with and one low-pressure next step |
| January to February | Neighborhoods with many older residents and the family neighborhoods nearby | After the holiday visits: a free in-home care assessment or a tour |
| Spring | Neighborhoods with many people living alone | Help around the house, rides to appointments and a friendly visit each week |
| Summer | Family neighborhoods | Respite care while the family caregiver takes a vacation |
| September to October | The routes around your community | An open house, a lunch or a talk for family caregivers, mailed 2 to 3 weeks ahead |
| November | Family neighborhoods and the routes closest to you | Coming home for the holidays? What to look for when you visit, and how to reach you |
You don't need every mailing. Most San Marcos agencies and communities start by mailing the same nearby routes every month or so, then add the seasonal cards. Our senior care direct mail guide has more ideas for each one.
What every San Marcos senior care postcard should include
- Your license number. Home care organizations and assisted living communities (Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly, or RCFEs) in California are licensed by the Department of Social Services. Showing the number tells families you are legitimate.
- Who pays, said plainly. Medicare generally does not pay for ongoing non-medical help at home or for assisted living. Don't suggest that it does. Say whether you accept long-term care insurance or veterans benefits, if you do.
- Offers spelled out: what a free assessment or a move-in special includes and when it ends.
- For assisted living, describe the community, not the residents you want. Rooms, care, meals, activities and your location. Communities are housing, and fair housing rules apply to their advertising.
- Large type and a phone number a person answers. Many readers are older, and many callers want to talk to someone right away.
- Where you are in San Marcos, with a landmark people know and the areas you serve.
These are general points, not legal advice. Your licensing office or an attorney can confirm the exact wording, and we adjust any design to match.
Senior Care postcard designs
Start from one of our ready-made senior care postcards. We add your logo, offer, license number and photos, send you a proof, then print and mail it. Need a custom design, or have your own? Just let us know.
Senior Care marketing plans in other cities
- Carlsbad
- ChulaVista
- Clairemont
- Coronado
- DelMar
- ElCajon
- Encinitas
- Escondido
- ImperialBeach
- LaJolla
- LaMesa
- LemonGrove
- NationalCity
- NorthPark
- Oceanside
- PointLoma
- Poway
- RanchoBernardo
- Santee
- ScrippsRanch
- SolanaBeach
- Vista
San Marcos at a glance
- Homes and mail routes
- About 35,500 homes on 46 routes
- Best areas
- Older residents: Lake San Marcos and Central San Marcos. Full-service and live-in care: Twin Oaks Valley and Coronado Hills. Adult children: San Elijo Hills and Old Creek Ranch.
- What it costs
- $2,682 to mail 5,000 homes by EDDM®
- Where to start
- The same routes near your office or community every month, plus a card to local referral partners.
Frequently asked questions
Where do most older residents live in San Marcos?
Lake San Marcos has the city's best-known retirement neighborhood, and the older parts of central San Marcos have many long-time homeowners and several mobile home parks for residents 55 and older. The table above shows the share of residents 65 and 75 or older and the number of seniors living alone in each ZIP Code.
Should a home care agency use EDDM® or a mailing list in San Marcos?
EDDM® is the cheapest way to cover the neighborhoods with many older residents, like Lake San Marcos, and it reaches their families nearby too. A mailing list filtered by age and length of residence works better where older homeowners are spread out, like Twin Oaks Valley.
How often should senior care postcards be mailed?
Every four to six weeks to the same homes. Families often take months to choose care, so being there again and again matters more than reaching a big area once.
How many homes should a senior care business mail?
Many start with 2,500 to 5,000 homes near the office or community and mail them several times. Use a different phone number or offer code on each mailing to see which areas call.
Are you in San Marcos?
Yes. Our print shop is in San Marcos, so we print your postcards here and take EDDM® mailings to the Post Offices that deliver your routes.
Get a quote for your San Marcos mailing
Tell us which neighborhoods and services you want to focus on. We'll reply with a price for printing and mailing, and the routes or list we recommend.