Philo, CA Real Estate & Homes for Sale
By Matthew Martinez, Founder, CEO & Managing Broker, Diamond Real Estate Group. California DRE #01869679.
Philo is an unincorporated community in Mendocino County, California, on Highway 128 in the middle of Anderson Valley, between Boonville and Navarro, with more of the wineries in the valley’s online directory than any other community and the old-growth redwoods of Hendy Woods State Park. Property here ranges from rural homes to vineyard and orchard parcels and wooded hillside land. ATTOM counted 10 residential sales in the past year, too few for a dependable median; Mendocino County’s September 2026 median was $480,000 (C.A.R.).
- County
- Mendocino County
- Government
- Unincorporated (county rules)
- Residential properties
- About 418 (ATTOM, Oct 2026)
- Residential sales
- 10 in the past year (ATTOM, Oct 2026)
- State park
- Hendy Woods, two old-growth redwood groves
- Wine region
- Anderson Valley AVA (1983)
Philo homes for sale
Current MLS listings in Philo appear below. With about ten sales a year, widen your property search to Boonville and Navarro to see the full range of valley property.
What do homes in Philo sell for?
10
Past year, ATTOM (accessed October 2026)
$507,900
ATTOM model estimate, October 2026
$480,000
September 2026, C.A.R.
Ten sales in a year is not enough to publish a Philo median with any confidence. ATTOM counts about 418 residential properties in Philo, with an average size of 1,948 square feet, and puts its modelled median value at $507,900 (ATTOM). That is an estimate of what homes are worth, not a record of what they sold for. For a sale-price benchmark, the closest published figure is the Mendocino County median, $480,000 in September 2026 (C.A.R.).
| Measure | Figure | Period and source |
|---|---|---|
| Residential properties, Philo | About 418 | ATTOM, accessed October 2026 |
| Residential sales | 10 in the past year | ATTOM, accessed October 2026 |
| Average home size | 1,948 sq ft | ATTOM, accessed October 2026 |
| Estimated median home value (model, not sales) | $507,900 | ATTOM, accessed October 2026 |
| Mendocino County median sale price | $480,000 (up 1.4% year over year) | September 2026, C.A.R. |
A year of Philo sales can mix very different properties, such as a small house near the highway, a hillside home on acreage and a planted vineyard. Value per acre, the age and yield of any vines, water supply and road access explain more of the price than the median does, so we build comparables property type by property type.
Where is Philo, and who governs it?
Philo sits on Highway 128 in the central part of Anderson Valley, in western Mendocino County. Boonville, the valley’s service town, is to the southeast, and Navarro and the redwood stretch of the highway toward the coast are to the northwest. Hendy Woods State Park is just off the highway on Philo-Greenwood Road, about 8 miles northwest of Boonville by State Parks’ description.
Philo has no city government. The county’s Planning and Building Services sets zoning and issues building, well and septic permits, and the Anderson Valley Community Services District, based in Boonville, runs the valley’s fire department. At closing only the county’s transfer tax of $1.10 per $1,000 applies. Our Mendocino County guide covers the county-wide rules in more detail.
Hendy Woods State Park and the river
Hendy Woods State Park protects two old-growth redwood groves, Big Hendy and Little Hendy, where State Parks says some trees may be more than 300 feet tall and about 1,000 years old. The park has 92 campsites and four cabins, open year-round, and about five miles of trails, including the 0.6-mile Discovery Trail through Big Hendy Grove, which is wheelchair accessible. Vehicle day use was $10 when we checked in October 2026. Philo is also where the river begins: the state’s groundwater bulletin notes that Anderson Creek and Rancheria Creek join near Philo to form the Navarro River.
State Parks also warns campers that early-morning noise and agricultural spraying can occur next to the park. The same goes for houses: a home beside a vineyard or orchard shares that farm work, so ask the seller and neighbours what happens next door, and when, before you buy.
Vineyards, wineries and appellations around Philo
Philo is the valley’s winery town. Of the 30 Anderson Valley wineries listed in the valley’s online winery directory in October 2026, 19 give a Philo address, against 8 in Boonville and 2 in Yorkville (avwines.com). For a buyer, it makes a working vineyard or winery a likely neighbour.
Philo lies within the Anderson Valley American Viticultural Area, created in 1983 and described in federal rules as located in the western part of Mendocino County. Its boundary is drawn on U.S. Geological Survey maps that include the Boonville and Navarro quadrangles, and part of it follows Greenwood Creek (27 CFR 9.86). Above the valley, the separate Mendocino Ridge appellation covers only land at or above the 1,200-foot contour within its boundary (27 CFR 9.158), so two parcels a mile apart can carry different appellations.
Grape prices give a sense of what planted land can earn. In the 2025 crush, Mendocino County’s crush district (District 1) paid an average base price of $3,338 a ton for Pinot Noir and $1,295 a ton for Chardonnay on purchased fruit, according to the state’s final crush report data (CDFA/USDA NASS). Those are county-wide averages; Anderson Valley fruit isn’t reported separately.
- Before buying a vineyard: confirm the appellation from the boundary text, get the grape contracts and yield history, and find out where irrigation and frost-protection water comes from. Our guides to buying a vineyard and vineyard due diligence set out the checks in order.
- Living next to one: see the State Parks note on spraying above, and visit at different times of day before you commit.
Can you rent out a Philo home to visitors?
Some buyers want a Philo property that can earn rent from short stays. In the unincorporated county, stays of 30 consecutive days or less are transient stays: the operator collects the county’s 10% transient occupancy tax, and a 1% lodging business improvement assessment is added on top. The inland zoning code lets an owner rent up to two rooms to transient guests as “room and board”, with a use permit needed if the parcel lacks frontage on a publicly maintained road, but it has no chapter for whole-house vacation rentals. As of October 2026 the county had not adopted inland short-term rental rules: the Board of Supervisors discussed creating a new short-term rental use type for the inland area on February 3, 2026 and gave staff direction (Board agenda); The Mendocino Voice reported at the time that inland rentals were “not currently regulated by the county” (The Mendocino Voice). Before you count on rental income, confirm the current rule and what the specific parcel needs with Planning and Building Services, and read any recorded road agreement for limits on commercial use.
What to check before buying in Philo
- Water: expect a private well or spring. The state’s description of the Anderson Valley groundwater basin, about 4,970 acres of valley floor, puts domestic wells at 30 to 300 feet deep (143 feet on average across 74 well reports) with typical yields of 10 to 50 gallons a minute, and notes high iron in older samples (DWR Bulletin 118). Hillside wells can differ, so get the well log, a late-summer flow test if you can, and a water-quality test. For a vineyard, ask what water the vines and frost protection use and whether any water right or permit backs it up.
- Septic: request the county permit file and have the system inspected. Raw land needs a septic site evaluation before you can rely on a building site.
- Fire: check the state Fire Hazard Severity Zone map for the parcel. In a High or Very High zone, the seller provides a recent defensible-space inspection report under AB 38, or both sides agree in writing that the buyer will obtain one within a year of closing.
- Insurance and access: quote insurance early, and drive the road in from Highway 128. Find out who maintains it and how it held up last winter.
Philo compared with nearby areas
| Area | Government | One verified difference |
|---|---|---|
| Philo | Unincorporated, Mendocino County | About 418 residential properties, 10 sales in the past year (ATTOM); Hendy Woods State Park |
| Boonville | Unincorporated, Mendocino County | The valley’s service town; the only community with planned district water and sewer |
| Navarro | Unincorporated, Mendocino County | Downriver toward the coast; Route 75’s Saturday trip starts at the Navarro store |
| Yorkville | Unincorporated, Mendocino County | In the Yorkville Highlands AVA rather than the Anderson Valley AVA |
| Comptche | Unincorporated, Mendocino County | Has its own Comptche AVA, established in 2024 |
How Diamond Real Estate Group helps Philo buyers
A Philo purchase is often part house, part land, and sometimes part farm. We check the appellation and parcel boundaries against the official descriptions, gather the well, septic and permit records, look up the fire zone, and get insurance quotes before your contingencies run out. For vineyard property we also review grape contracts, vine age and water sources, and compare the price per planted acre with recent Anderson Valley sales. If you’re weighing an investment, our investor services page explains how we model income; for a broader view of wine-country land, start with our vineyard property guide, and see how we work with buyers.
Selling a home in Philo
A Philo sale runs under Mendocino County rules: Planning and Building Services keeps the building and zoning file, and Environmental Health keeps the septic and well records. Many Philo properties combine a house with vines, orchard or woods, and buyers price each part on its own, so organize the paperwork the same way.
Selling land with vines
- Appellation. The Anderson Valley AVA is mapped on the Navarro, Boonville and Ornbaun Valley quadrangles, and part of its line follows Greenwood Creek. Show buyers where your parcel falls against that federal text, not just the mailing address.
- Williamson Act. A contract carries over to every later owner. If you sell only part of a contracted parcel, the owner of that part may later give notice of nonrenewal without affecting the rest.
- Farm file. Keep grape contracts, planting records and the equipment list separate from the house description. Our guide to selling a vineyard sets out the order.
Water and septic
Expect buyers to ask first about the well or spring and the septic system. No county rule requires a septic inspection at sale, so whether one happens is settled in the purchase contract. Ask Environmental Health early for the well completion report, because the department is digitizing its files and warns of delays. A non-standard septic system needs a current operational permit; confirm yours before listing.
Guest rental history
If you have rented rooms or the whole house to short-stay guests, your county transient occupancy tax registration certificate cannot be transferred. It goes back to the Tax Administrator with the final payment when the property sells, and a new operator must register before taking guests.
Closing costs and required statements
Philo pays only the county transfer tax of $0.55 per $500, so a $500,000 sale owes $550. In Diamond’s North Bay markets the seller usually covers it, though that is open to negotiation (see our transfer tax page). Where the parcel is mapped High or Very High fire hazard, request a defensible-space inspection from CAL FIRE’s online form for AB 38, or sign an agreement that the buyer will get one within a year of closing. Smoke alarm, water heater strapping and plumbing fixture disclosures go to every buyer.
For a price that weighs vines, acreage and water separately, start with a home valuation.
Sources for this section: eCFR: 27 CFR 9.86, Anderson Valley viticultural area; California Public Law: Government Code section 51243 (Williamson Act contracts); Mendocino County Code (GoCodebook): Chapter 16.08, On-Site Sewage Systems; Mendocino County Environmental Health: Land Use (on-site sewage and water wells); Mendocino County Code (GoCodebook): Chapter 5.20, Uniform Transient Occupancy Tax; Mendocino County Code (GoCodebook): Chapter 5.24, Real Property Transfer Tax; CAL FIRE: Defensible space (inspection requests); CAL FIRE Office of the State Fire Marshal: Information Bulletin 21-007, defensible space inspections in real estate transactions (2021); Justia: California Civil Code section 1102.19; California Public Law: Health and Safety Code section 13113.8; California Public Law: Health and Safety Code section 19211; California Public Law: Civil Code section 1101.4.
Philo real estate FAQs
What county is Philo, California in?
Philo is in Mendocino County. It’s unincorporated, so the county, not a city, handles zoning, permits and taxes; the Anderson Valley Fire Department, run by the Anderson Valley Community Services District, is based in nearby Boonville.
Where is Philo on the map?
Philo is on Highway 128 in the middle of Anderson Valley, northwest of Boonville and southeast of Navarro. State Parks places Hendy Woods State Park, just outside Philo, about 8 miles northwest of Boonville.
How much do homes in Philo cost?
There are too few sales for a reliable local median: ATTOM counted 10 residential sales in the past year. Its modelled median value is $507,900, and the Mendocino County median sale price was $480,000 in September 2026. Vineyard and acreage sales can run well above either figure.
Can I buy a vineyard in Philo?
Yes, when one is listed. Check the appellation (Anderson Valley on the valley floor, Mendocino Ridge only at or above 1,200 feet within its boundary), the grape contracts, vine age and water source. District 1 averaged $3,338 a ton for Pinot Noir in the 2025 crush.
Is Philo a good place to run a vacation rental?
It depends on the parcel and on county rules, so treat rental income as unconfirmed until you’ve checked. Short stays carry a 10% county transient occupancy tax plus a 1% lodging assessment, and the inland code allows renting up to two rooms as an accessory use. Whole-house rentals are the open question: as of October 2026 the county had adopted no inland short-term rental rules, after a Board discussion on February 3, 2026, so confirm the current rule with the county before you buy.
Are there wineries in Philo?
Yes. The Anderson Valley winery directory at avwines.com listed 30 valley wineries in October 2026, and 19 of them had Philo addresses, more than any other community in that directory.
What is Hendy Woods State Park?
It’s a state park just off Highway 128 on Philo-Greenwood Road, with two old-growth redwood groves, 92 campsites, four cabins and about five miles of trails. State Parks lists vehicle day use at $10.
Do Philo homes have public water?
Expect a private well or spring. The public water system the Anderson Valley Community Services District is planning covers downtown Boonville, not Philo, so plan on testing a well’s flow and quality before you buy.
What should I know about living next to a vineyard?
Expect farm work on the neighbouring land, on the farm’s schedule rather than yours. State Parks warns Hendy Woods campers about early-morning noise and agricultural spraying next to the park, which gives a sense of what neighbouring homes experience.
Can I get to Ukiah by bus from Philo?
Yes, once each way on weekdays and Saturdays. Mendocino Transit Authority’s Route 75 stops in Philo at 9:30 a.m. on its way to Ukiah, arriving at the Ukiah Library at 10:35, and the afternoon bus is back in Philo at 3:55 p.m. (timetable effective July 20, 2026).
Which school district serves Philo?
The valley’s public school district is the Anderson Valley Unified School District, based in Boonville, whose schools are Anderson Valley Elementary, Anderson Valley Junior-Senior High and Anderson Valley Adult. Confirm the district and assigned school for a specific Philo address with the district.
Who supplies electricity in Philo?
Sonoma Clean Power is the default electricity provider in Mendocino County outside Ukiah, and PG&E delivers the power and maintains the lines. On a rural parcel, ask how the well pump runs during an outage.
Sources & notes
- ATTOM: Philo property data (accessed October 2026) and C.A.R.: September 2026 home sales and price report
- California State Parks: Hendy Woods State Park (checked October 2026)
- 27 CFR 9.86: Anderson Valley and 27 CFR 9.158: Mendocino Ridge
- CDFA/USDA NASS: 2025 final grape crush report, base prices by district
- Mendocino County Code: transient occupancy tax and inland accessory uses (code copies); The Mendocino Voice: lodging assessment (July 2026)
- Mendocino Transit Authority: Route 75 timetable and California Department of Education: Anderson Valley Unified
- County of Mendocino: Board of Supervisors agenda for February 3, 2026 (item R7) and inland short-term rentals page (checked October 2026)
Figures carry their dates where they appear. This is general information, not legal, tax or insurance advice; confirm rules for a specific property with the agency named. Last reviewed October 2026 by Matthew Martinez.
Plan your next move
Share your preferred location, budget, property requirements and timing. We can help organize a focused search, arrange showings or discuss preparing a property for sale.
Local resource: Mendocino County planning resources. Check official information for the address you are considering; area descriptions do not establish a property’s permitted uses.
