Phillip
Statistical Area - sa2

Phillip lies within the top 10% of areas nationally in terms of population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of short and medium-term trends

Phillip's population was around 7,331 as of Aug 2025. This reflected an increase of 2,134 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 5,197 people. The change was inferred from the estimated resident population of 6,530 in June 2024 and an additional 2,136 validated new addresses since the Census date. This resulted in a density ratio of 2,852 persons per square kilometer, placing Phillip in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Phillip's growth of 41.1% since the 2021 census exceeded both the SA3 area (5.6%) and the state. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration contributing approximately 50.9% of overall population gains during recent periods, although all drivers including natural growth and interstate migration were positive factors.

AreaSearch adopted ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data and years post-2032, age group growth rates from the ACT Government's SA2 area projections were used, also based on 2022. Based on demographic trends, exceptional growth was predicted over the period to 2041 with an expected increase of 3,980 persons, recording a gain of 42.6% in total over the 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development activity positions Phillip among the top 25% of areas assessed nationwide

Phillip has seen approximately 230 new homes approved annually. Development approval data from the ABS shows 1,154 dwellings were approved over the past five financial years, between FY-20 and FY-25, with no approvals yet in FY-26. On average, 0.8 people have moved to the area per dwelling built over these years, indicating supply has met or exceeded demand. The average construction cost of new properties is $423,000, slightly above the regional average.

Commercial approvals this financial year totalled $27.9 million, suggesting strong local business investment. Compared to the Australian Capital Territory, Phillip has 772.0% more building activity per person. Recent development has been exclusively medium and high-density housing, providing accessible entry options for downsizers, investors, and first-time buyers. With around 23 people moving in per approval, Phillip reflects a developing area with population forecasts indicating an increase of 3,127 residents by 2041. Current construction levels should adequately meet demand, creating favourable conditions for buyers while potentially exceeding current population growth projections.

Population forecasts indicate Phillip will gain 3,127 residents through to 2041. With current construction levels, housing supply should adequately meet demand, creating favourable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

Phillip has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 25 projects that may impact this region. Notable projects include The Shard, Trilogy Apartments, Woden Bus Depot and Transport Interchange, Luxury Canberra Residential Tower. Below is a list detailing those likely to be most relevant.

Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.

Employment performance in Phillip exceeds national averages across key labour market indicators

Phillip has an educated workforce with many residents employed in essential services sectors. The unemployment rate is 2.9%.

Over the past year, estimated employment growth was 1.5%. As of June 2025, there are 4,086 working residents with an unemployment rate of 3.4%, 0.5% below the Australian Capital Territory's (ACT) rate. Workforce participation in Phillip is 79.5%, higher than ACT's 69.6%. Employment is concentrated in public administration & safety, health care & social assistance, and professional & technical sectors.

Notably, health care & social assistance employs 2.1 times the regional level but education & training only employs 5.4% of local workers compared to ACT's 9.6%. Phillip hosts more jobs than residents, with a ratio of 2.8 workers per resident. Over the year ending June 2025, employment increased by 1.5%, labour force by 1.6%, and unemployment remained essentially unchanged. In contrast, ACT experienced employment growth of 1.9% and a 0.3 percentage point drop in unemployment rate to 4.2%. State-level data to Sep-25 shows ACT employment contracted by 0.33% with national unemployment at 4.5%. Jobs and Skills Australia projects national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, varying significantly between sectors. Applying these projections to Phillip's industry mix suggests local growth could be approximately 7.2% over five years and 14.8% over ten years.

Income metrics indicate excellent economic conditions, with the area achieving higher performance than 75% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch

Phillip's median income among taxpayers was $72,422 in financial year 2022. His average income stood at $90,447 during the same period. In comparison, the median and average incomes for the Australian Capital Territory were $68,678 and $83,634 respectively. Based on a Wage Price Index growth of 10.78% since financial year 2022, estimated incomes as of March 2025 would be approximately $80,229 (median) and $100,197 (average). According to the 2021 Census, Phillip's individual earnings were at the 95th percentile nationally, which corresponded to a weekly income of $1,342. Income brackets indicated that the $1,500 - $2,999 bracket dominated with 47.2% of residents (3,460 people). High housing costs consumed 17.1% of income. Despite this, Phillip's disposable income was at the 68th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking placed it in the 8th decile.

Phillip features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Phillip's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 0.1% houses and 99.9% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), contrasting with Australian Capital Territory's 58.4% houses and 41.7% other dwellings. Home ownership in Phillip stood at 13.9%, with mortgaged dwellings at 35.4% and rented ones at 50.7%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,608, below the Australian Capital Territory average of $2,167. Median weekly rent in Phillip was $440, matching the Australian Capital Territory figure but significantly higher than the national average of $375. Nationally, Phillip's mortgage repayments were lower than the Australian average of $1,863.

Phillip features high concentrations of lone person households and group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 49.9% of all households, including 14.7% couples with children, 27.6% couples without children, and 6.2% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 50.1%, with lone person households at 44.2% and group households comprising 5.9%. The median household size is 1.9 people, which is smaller than the Australian Capital Territory average of 2.4.

Phillip shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

Phillip has an educational attainment rate significantly higher than broader benchmarks. 60.1% of its residents aged 15 and above hold university qualifications, compared to 30.4% in Australia and 46.8% in the SA4 region. This high level of educational attainment positions Phillip strongly for knowledge-based opportunities. Bachelor degrees are the most common qualification held by residents at 34.9%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (19.5%) and graduate diplomas (5.7%).

Vocational pathways account for 20.5% of qualifications among those aged 15 and above, with advanced diplomas making up 9.5% and certificates 11.0%. Educational participation is notably high in Phillip, with 25.9% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.7% in tertiary education, 4.7% in primary education, and 2.7% pursuing secondary education. Phillip is anchored by The Canberra College, a substantial educational institution serving 1,169 students as of a recent report. Phillip demonstrates above-average socio-educational conditions, with an ICSEA score of 1088. Secondary education dominates in Phillip, with 1 school serving the area while primary students typically attend schools in adjacent catchments.

Transport servicing is high compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility

Phillip has 43 operational public transport stops offering a mix of train and bus services. These stops are served by 28 unique routes, facilitating 4,697 weekly passenger trips in total. Residents enjoy excellent transport accessibility, with an average distance of 160 meters to the nearest stop.

Daily service frequency averages 671 trips across all routes, equating to around 109 weekly trips per individual stop.

Phillip's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Health outcomes data shows excellent results across Phillip Island, with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups. The rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 67% of the total population (4889 people), compared to the national average of 55.3%.

Mental health issues and asthma are the most common medical conditions in the area, impacting 9.5% and 7.6% of residents respectively. 75.1% of residents declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, higher than the Australian Capital Territory average of 70.1%. The area has 8.7% of residents aged 65 and over (635 people), lower than the Australian Capital Territory's 18.3%. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, broadly in line with the general population's health profile.

Phillip is among the most culturally diverse areas in the country based on AreaSearch assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Phillip has a high cultural diversity index, with 41.7% of its residents speaking a language other than English at home and 45.6% born overseas. Christianity is the predominant religion in Phillip, accounting for 35.9% of the population. Notably, Hinduism is overrepresented in Phillip compared to the Australian Capital Territory average, comprising 11.2% versus 6.6%.

The top three ancestry groups in Phillip are English (19.3%), Other (18.8%), and Australian (15.9%). The 'Other' category is substantially higher than the regional average of 13.0%, while the Australian figure is notably lower at 21.3%. Some ethnic groups show notable differences: Filipino residents are overrepresented at 4.8% compared to the regional average of 1.5%, Spanish at 0.9% versus 0.5%, and Korean at 1.3% against a regional average of 0.5%.

Phillip hosts a very young demographic, ranking in the bottom 10% of areas nationwide

Phillip has a median age of 32 years, which is younger than the Australian Capital Territory average of 35 and substantially below the national median of 38. Compared to the Australian Capital Territory, Phillip has a higher percentage of residents aged 25-34 (35.0%), but fewer residents aged 5-14 (5.3%). This concentration of 25-34 year-olds is significantly higher than the national average of 14.5%. Post-2021 Census data indicates that the 35 to 44 age group has increased from 17.3% to 18.8% of Phillip's population. Conversely, the percentage of residents aged 15 to 24 has decreased from 11.1% to 9.4%, and the percentage of those aged 25 to 34 has dropped from 36.1% to 35.0%. Demographic projections suggest that Phillip's age profile will change significantly by 2041, with the 35 to 44 age cohort projected to grow steadily, increasing by 677 people (49%) from 1,378 to 2,056.