Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 5,699, settled in 1868. 66% more nonprofits per person than the typical Oregon town.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Philomath grades B+ overall, ranked 23rd of 142 in Oregon. CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 84% of the country and its schools outperform 76% of the state's. What holds it back is price: homes are expensive, about $522K for a typical one and 6.7 times the Corvallis metro’s $78K median household income. Philomath is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 94% of U.S. towns. On safety, just 5 of Oregon’s 79 towns do better. Philomath's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 98% of U.S. towns.
Where Philomath beats most towns.
4,584 counted in 2010 and 5,350 in 2020; an estimated 5,699 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 6.5% since 2020, after 16.7% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Oregon), ordered by how far Philomath is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 224 in 1880, 5,350 in 2020. The archive holds 16 old photos and papers going back to 2003 and 7 maps from 1913 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Philomath, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Oct 2, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Philomath.
Philomath fares better on crime within Oregon than nationally, but it has homes that cost more against local pay than most of Oregon.
26% of adults have high blood pressure in Philomath, against 33% in Oregon’s towns and 35% across U.S. towns. 28% of adults have obesity in Philomath. Only 6 of the 142 Oregon towns we compare have a lower share of adults who have diabetes than Philomath.
| Philomath | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 32% | 36% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 33% | 35% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 35% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 15% | 16% |
| What stands out | Philomath | OR |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 4.9% | 6.5% |
| Fewer adults who get no exercise | 15.4% | 20.1% |
| More binge drinkers | 18.8% | 15.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by Philomath SD 17J. Three of its 6 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Philomath High School, with 453 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philomath Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades 2–5 | Grades 2–5 | 368 | A |
| Philomath High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 453 | – |
| Philomath Middle SchoolTop results in townGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 351 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within OR on state tests and graduation
Most working residents leave Philomath for work: only 8% work in town. Jobs based in Philomath grew to 1,392 in 2023, 318 more than in 2013. 7.2% of residents live below the poverty line in Philomath, below both the Oregon town median (11%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%).
| Philomath | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 7.2% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
1.9 miles of trail in 4 parks and preserves. Mary's River Park & Natural Area, at 26 acres with 1 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. Philomath’s trail density is 0.9 miles per square mile.
| Philomath | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.9 miles per square mile | 0.8 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 2.1% | 4.4% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Mary's River Park & Natural Area | 1 mi | 26 |
| 2. Philomath City Park | 0.1 mi | 10 |
| 3. Reservoir Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 75% of U.S. communities. Since 2012, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Philomath.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
At 11 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 96% of Oregon’s graded towns. Violent crime is rare: 7 reported in 2025, 1.2 per 1,000 residents.
The property crime rate in Philomath is 7.8 per 1,000 residents.
| Philomath | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 7.8 per 1,000 residents | 15.6 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.2 per 1,000 residents | 2.2 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Philomath has mild winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 35° and about 4 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
At 6.7 years of the Corvallis metro’s $78K median household income, the typical home (about $522K) costs more against local pay than in 79% of Oregon towns; that ratio is one input to its D for cost of living.
The typical Philomath home is worth about $522,000, up 0.6% in a year, 6% above the Oregon typical home.
| Philomath | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,477 a month | $1,413 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 68% | 65% | 73% |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
2 within 15 miles of the center of Philomath
About 8 of every 100 Philomath residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Oregon.
Where Philomath’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
City in Oregon, United States
Philomath ( fi-LOH-mith) is a city in Benton County, Oregon, United States. It was named for Philomath (Greek, "love of learning") College. The population was 5,838 as of the 2023 census population estimates. It is part of the Corvallis Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Philomath grades B+ overall, better than 71% of U.S. towns and #23 of 142 in Oregon. It grades A− for health, B+ for safety and A− for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.