Nursery tag for purchase of Pinot Noir cuttings planted at Husch Vineyards 1971, 1971
Philo’s story
138 years in pictures
The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 1971 and 3 maps from 1943 on.
- 1888Philo is settled
PhiloCA
The town was settled in 1888 and has 60 residents today.
Photo: Missvain · CC BY 4.0
Population
60
Census survey, 2020–24
Household income
$74K
median
Median age
76.2
years
Jobs based here
230
A job hub
Is Philo a good place to live?
78% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Philo, above both California’s towns (29%) and U.S. towns (29%). Among 848 California towns, just one has a higher median age than Philo. Philo’s trail network density is 0.1 miles per square mile, where California’s towns sit at 1.0 and U.S. towns at 0.4. The biggest park or preserve is Hendy Woods State Park, at 74 acres. Philo has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Philo stand out
Where Philo beats most towns.
Small town
60 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
Moving to Philo: who provides what
Philo is unincorporated, so Mendocino County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerPG&E37.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
Internet6 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesMendocino CountyMendocino County provides services here
Register to voteOnlineIn California you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereMendocino County Clerk-ElectionsMendocino County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2021
ZIP codes95466, 9541595466 97% · 95415 3%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Philo.
Work & commute
Philo has 3.8 jobs for every working resident, and 221 people commute in
Half the trips to work are shorter than 25 miles. Jobs based in Philo grew to 230 in 2023, 82 more than in 2013. Only 15% of working residents stay in Philo for work; the rest commute out. The top destinations are Boonville (15%), Ukiah (5%) and Alameda (3%).
15%work in town
Where working residents work
In Philo15%
Boonville15%
Ukiah5%
Alameda3%
Novato3%
25 mi
median commute distance
230
jobs based in Philo
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazards
Natural hazards: very high risk in Philo, mostly inland flooding
Expected losses in Philo break down as 52% from inland flooding and 26% from earthquakes. On expected storm and flood damage, Philo sits above 92% of U.S. communities. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Philo after 3 declared disasters, most recently in 2023.
92risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingEarthquakesWildfire
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
In Philo, expect mild winters and pleasant summers
In July, afternoons reach 84°; in January, nights fall to 39°, and about 3 inches of snow falls in a winter.
3″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter39–58°
Spring43–67°
Summer51–82°
Fall45–73°
+0.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Philo is
Philo: 16% of adults report frequent mental distress. Among adults in the town, 18% binge drink and 20% have been diagnosed with depression.
| Philo | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 70% | 72% | 79% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 9% | 8.1% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 16% | 16% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 22% | 23% |
32 measures vs. California
0 better32 too close to call0 worse
Adventist Health Ukiah Valley
14.3 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Outdoors
7.1% of the land in Philo is protected from building
0.3 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves.
7.1%conserved
7.1%
conserved · 93 of 1,316 acres
0.3 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Hendy Woods State Park | — | 74 |
| 2. Indian Creek County Park | — | 17 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Housing
A home in Philo sells for about $475K at the median
In Philo, 69% of households live in a home they own.
$475Kmedian sale price
0
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Philo
16pages on Philo
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Philo
About 0 of every 100 Philo residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
A job hub
Every workday, about 221 people come to Philo for work
Where Philo’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
230jobs based in Philo
15%of working residents work in town
25 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Philo
Census-designated place in California, United States
Philo is a census-designated place in Mendocino County, California, United States. It is located 6 miles (10 km) northwest of Boonville, at an elevation of 331 feet (101 m). The population was 319 at the 2020 census. Philo is located in Anderson Valley in western Mendocino County. Situated along Indian Creek as it flows into the Navarro River, Philo is the home of KZYX, the local public radio station. Two small specialty lumber mills in Philo are all that remain of a once vigorous timber economy in Anderson Valley. Philo is the heart of the Anderson Valley wine region. The first post office opened in 1888. The ZIP Code is 95466. The community is inside area code 707. Two versions of how Phi…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 2.0 sq mi
- Elevation
- 331 ft
- ZIP code
- 95466
- Area code
- 707
Questions about Philo
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Philo, CA a good place to live?
Philo has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.