Query Zip Codes

Shelly Schaper · June 2014

Is there an easy way to find constituents with mailing addresses (both preferred and business) in a region with hundreds of zip codes? The way we are looking at handling this is to create a query using "contains" as the operator, then listing each zip code in that area separately. There must be an easier way though.

Kathleen McGuinness · June 2014

Shelly Schaper:
Is there an easy way to find constituents with mailing addresses (both preferred and business) in a region with hundreds of zip codes? The way we are looking at handling this is to create a query using "contains" as the operator, then listing each zip code in that area separately. There must be an easier way though.

Here's an example of a query I am creating now that I am selecting specific zip codes that are not numerically all inclusive:

Preferred zip begins with 33455

OR preferred zip begins with 33475

OR preferred zip between 34956 AND 34958-9999

OR preferred zip between 34990 AND 34992-9999

OR preferred zip begins with 34997

etc.....

I've never used the contains operator, so not sure if it would pick up your zip codes that contain +4?

Shelly Schaper · June 2014

Kathleen McGuinness:
Here's an example of a query I am creating now that I am selecting specific zip codes that are not numerically all inclusive:

Preferred zip begins with 33455

OR preferred zip begins with 33475

OR preferred zip between 34956 AND 34958-9999

OR preferred zip between 34990 AND 34992-9999

OR preferred zip begins with 34997

etc.....

I've never used the contains operator, so not sure if it would pick up your zip codes that contain +4?

When you are using between operator, are you picking up a lot of outlying zip codes not in the area?

Thank you.

Kathleen McGuinness · June 2014

Shelly Schaper:
When you are using between operator, are you picking up a lot of outlying zip codes not in the area?

Thank you.

I'm not sure I understand this question? I suggest you test a small area and check the output to help you figure out if it will work for you.

Christine Cooke 2 · June 2014

Shelly Schaper:
Is there an easy way to find constituents with mailing addresses (both preferred and business) in a region with hundreds of zip codes? The way we are looking at handling this is to create a query using "contains" as the operator, then listing each zip code in that area separately. There must be an easier way though.

I'm with Kate. I have always used "begins with". I have had development reps that are responsible for or events that are inclusive of particular geographical areas. Zip codes is the best way, because if you try and list cities/towns you will miss some since some areas are referred to with two different names. I am not sure that "contains" will catch the zip+4, like Kate said, test it.

It is tedious to set up hundreds of zips in a query, but if you can set it up then you will never had to do it again. I have done it for the 8 surrounding counties in our geographical area. And have also done it for reps going to other parts of the country where we wanted to contact peeps within an hour's drive of their travel destination, i.e. Boston, or D.C. or Chicago (which surprisingly included a corner of michigan, wisconsin and indiana!)

Good luck!

Melissa Graves 3 · June 2014

Christine Cooke:
I'm with Kate. I have always used "begins with". I have had development reps that are responsible for or events that are inclusive of particular geographical areas. Zip codes is the best way, because if you try and list cities/towns you will miss some since some areas are referred to with two different names. I am not sure that "contains" will catch the zip+4, like Kate said, test it.

It is tedious to set up hundreds of zips in a query, but if you can set it up then you will never had to do it again. I have done it for the 8 surrounding counties in our geographical area. And have also done it for reps going to other parts of the country where we wanted to contact peeps within an hour's drive of their travel destination, i.e. Boston, or D.C. or Chicago (which surprisingly included a corner of michigan, wisconsin and indiana!)

Good luck!

I have not tested it but I would be worried that the data for zip+4 is not stored with the dash. so contains of 12345 could give you 98761-2345. Worth testing though.

Joshua Bekerman bCLO bCRE · June 2014

Melissa Graves:
I have not tested it but I would be worried that the data for zip+4 is not stored with the dash. so contains of 12345 could give you 98761-2345. Worth testing though.

We use MapPoint for this. We find people based on a radius, and can also find people based on metropolitan statistical areas (MSA). You can get the integration from Blackbaud or just get the software itself from TechSoup for $15. It saves us a TON of time.

Shelly Schaper · June 2014

Melissa Graves:
I have not tested it but I would be worried that the data for zip+4 is not stored with the dash. so contains of 12345 could give you 98761-2345. Worth testing though.

I have tested it and "contains" will pull the zip codes with additional extensions.

Shelly Schaper · June 2014

Josh Bekerman:
We use MapPoint for this. We find people based on a radius, and can also find people based on metropolitan statistical areas (MSA). You can get the integration from Blackbaud or just get the software itself from TechSoup for $15. It saves us a TON of time.

Thank you Josh.

Melissa Graves 3 · June 2014

Shelly Schaper:
I have tested it and "contains" will pull the zip codes with additional extensions.

And it doesn't pull others which have those 5 digits somewhere in the middle (of a zip+4)?

Kathleen McGuinness · June 2014

Melissa Graves:
And it doesn't pull others which have those 5 digits somewhere in the middle (of a zip+4)?

I tested Melissa's example of concern and it does not factor in the hyphen when using numbers so it looks like using contains works

Query Zip Codes

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