The Town FilesPhillips, Wisconsin
City in Price County · population 1,533 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $103,300
- Household income
- $47,059
- Jan low / Jul high
- 1° / 79°
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 10
- Median age
- 41.5
Phillips is a city of 1,533 people in Price County, Wisconsin. The median home is worth $103,300, below the typical Wisconsin town ($256,000). It ranks hipper than 88% of Wisconsin towns, better transit than 77% of Wisconsin towns, better for a vacation home than 74% of Wisconsin towns.
How Phillips ranks
Percentile among Wisconsin towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Wisconsin towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Phillips is worth $103,300, below the typical Wisconsin town ($256,000). Homes cost about 2.2 times the median household income of $47,059, which is more affordable than 94% of Wisconsin towns. Median rent is $793 a month. 52.9% of households own their home.
| Housing | Phillips | Typical Wisconsin town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $103,300 | $256,000 |
| Median rent | $793 | $951 |
| Median household income | $47,059 | $82,217 |
| Home value ÷ income | 2.2× | 3.1× |
| Homeownership | 52.9% | 86.8% |
| Median year built | 1970 | 1978 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 5.8% | — |
Who lives in Phillips
| People | Phillips | Typical Wisconsin town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 41.5 | 45.1 |
| Age 65 and over | 22.3% | 21.0% |
| Under 18 | 24.3% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 21.0% | 23.8% |
| Below the poverty line | 19.2% | 7.2% |
| Veterans | 7.0% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 1.1% | — |
| Work from home | 5.7% | 10.9% |
| Average commute | 20.9 min | 24.6 min |
| Homes with broadband | 83.2% | 89.1% |
Weather in Phillips
July highs average 78.7°F and January lows 0.5°F. About 32.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year. Expect about 2 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 190 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
10 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Phillips since 1950, compared with 15 for the typical Wisconsin town. 2 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on September 20, 1972 about 0.5 miles from the town center. The most recent was on May 22, 2011.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 26 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on July 19, 2019.
Severe weather in Price County since 1996
Price County has been included in 8 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, drought, tornado.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| April 4, 2020 | Biological | DR-4520: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3454: Covid-19 |
| September 13, 2005 | Hurricane | EM-3249: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| September 10, 2002 | Tornado | DR-1432: Severe Storms, Tornadoes And Flooding |
| August 16, 1999 | Flood | DR-1284: Wi-Flood-07/20/99 |
Jobs and pay in Price County
Price County had 4,876 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $48,882 a year. Unemployment was 3.4% in 2023; in Phillips itself the ACS puts it at 4.8%.
Public schools in Phillips
3 public schools with 668 students, about 12.1 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phillips Elementary | PK-5 | 304 | 12.2 |
| Phillips High | 9-12 | 204 | 11.3 |
| Phillips Middle | 6-8 | 160 | 13.3 |
Towns near Phillips
- Worcester, WI5.4 mi · 1,543 people · home $240,900
- Elk, WI5.6 mi · 960 people · home $246,200
- Prentice, WI11.8 mi · 563 people · home $108,800
- Fifield, WI14.2 mi · 905 people · home $204,500
- Park Falls, WI16.9 mi · 2,410 people · home $84,800
- Lake, WI17.5 mi · 1,106 people · home $222,300
- Eisenstein, WI17.5 mi · 625 people · home $194,500
- Ogema, WI18.5 mi · 727 people · home $129,600
Phillips questions
Is Phillips, Wisconsin a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Phillips scores better for retirees than 64% of Wisconsin towns and quieter than 58%. 22.3% of residents are 65 or older (median age 41.5).
How much does a house cost in Phillips?
The median owner-occupied home in Phillips is valued at $103,300 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $47,059, so homes cost about 2.2 times income. Median rent is $793 a month.
What is the weather like in Phillips?
July highs average 78.7°F and January lows 0.5°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 32.4 inches of precipitation a year.
Does Phillips get tornadoes?
10 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Phillips since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on September 20, 1972. The typical Wisconsin town has had 15.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)