Philo is a village in Champaign County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,392 at the 2020 census.
Geography Philo is located three miles south of Urbana township and six miles south of the city of Urbana. The legend "Center of the Universe" is painted on the village water tower, along with its zipcode.
According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Philo has a total area of , all land.
Philo was named after the founder Philo Hale. The main park (Hale Park), which is used for numerous functions including reserved space for family reunions, is located on the north end of the village and is named after the founder.
Demographics
2020 census As of the 2020 census, Philo had a population of 1,392, with 532 households and 360 families residing in the village. The population density was . There were 561 housing units at an average density of . 0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.
The median age was 40.1 years. 23.8% of residents were under the age of 18 and 17.9% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 92.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 96.1 males age 18 and over.
Among households, 32.3% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 66.0% were married-couple households, 11.8% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 16.4% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 19.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
Of all housing units, 5.2% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.7% and the rental vacancy rate was 9.7%.
+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census Race Number Percent White 1,321 94.9% Black or African American 3 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native 3 0.2% Asian 3 0.2% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 4 0.3% Some other race 13 0.9% Two or more races 45 3.2% Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 10 0.7%
Income and poverty The median income for a household in the village was $91,156, and the median income for a family was $93,889. Males had a median income of $43,690 versus $36,090 for females. The per capita income for the village was $36,383. No families and 3.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.6% of those under age 18 and 3.6% of those age 65 or over. Education Philo is in the Unit 7 School District, - Text list based in nearby Tolono. Residents attend Unity East Elementary, Unity Junior High, and Unity High School.
Philo also has a Catholic Grade School, St. Thomas, for grades pre-K through 8th, and in nearby Champaign is the High School of Saint Thomas More.
Sesquicentennial
In July 2025, Philo marked the 150th anniversary of its founding with a four-day Sesquicentennial celebration held in Hale Park and downtown Philo. Events included a community talent show, farm-themed activities, live music, a 5K run, a parade, food vendors, and evening fireworks.
References
External links
Early history of Philo, Illinois Daniel Lincicome (1975). Philo Area Centennial 1875-1975. Philo Area Centennial Corporation.