Phillip Island
Statistical Area - sa2

Phillip Island 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 Island's population was around 15,946 as of November 2025, according to AreaSearch's analysis. This figure reflects an increase of 2,147 people from the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 13,799. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 14,560 in June 2024 and an additional 683 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 158 persons per square kilometer. Phillip Island's growth rate of 15.6% since the 2021 census exceeded that of the non-metro area (6.0%) and the SA4 region, positioning it as a growth leader. Interstate migration contributed approximately 80.1% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch uses the VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections from 2023, adjusted using weighted aggregation methods to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Future demographic trends predict exceptional growth, placing Phillip Island in the top 10 percent of Australia's non-metropolitan areas. By 2041, based on the latest population numbers, the area is expected to expand by 7,901 persons, reflecting a total increase of 40.8% over the 17-year period.

The level of residential development activity in Phillip Island was found to be higher than 90% of real estate markets across the country

Phillip Island has seen approximately 213 new homes approved annually. Between financial years FY-21 and FY-25, 1,066 homes were approved, with an additional 25 approved so far in FY-26. Over these five years, an average of 1.9 people moved to the area for each dwelling built. However, this has moderated to 1.1 people per dwelling over the past two financial years.

The average construction value of development projects is $317,000. This year alone, $24.3 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded. Compared to the rest of Victoria, Phillip Island shows moderately higher development activity, with 36.0% above the regional average per person over the past five years. New development consists of 56.0% detached dwellings and 44.0% attached dwellings, indicating an expanding range of medium-density options. This is a significant change from the current housing mix, which is predominantly houses (89.0%).

Phillip Island has around 101 people per dwelling approval, suggesting characteristics of a growth area. By 2041, Phillip Island is expected to grow by approximately 6,498 residents. Current development appears well-matched to future needs, supporting steady market conditions without extreme price pressure.

Phillip Island has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 24thth percentile nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 17 projects that could impact this region. Notable ones include Cowes to Ventnor Shared Path, Samuel Property Warley Avenue Apartments, Lifestyle Communities Phillip Island, and Phillip Island Community Hospital. The following list details those most relevant.

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

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While Phillip Island retains a healthy unemployment rate of 3.2%, recent employment declines have impacted its national performance ranking

Phillip Island has a skilled workforce with notable representation in lifestyle and retail sectors. Its unemployment rate is 3.2%.

As of June 2025, 6,320 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 0.6% below the Rest of Vic.'s rate of 3.8%. Workforce participation on Phillip Island is 48.9%, compared to Rest of Vic.'s 57.4%. Dominant employment sectors among residents include construction, health care & social assistance, and accommodation & food. Employment in accommodation & food is particularly notable, at 1.7 times the regional average.

Agriculture, forestry & fishing has limited presence on Phillip Island, with only 2.2% of employment compared to 7.5% regionally. The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by a comparison of Census working population and resident population numbers. Between June 2024 and June 2025, the labour force decreased by 0.7%, while employment decreased by 1.0%, resulting in an unemployment rate rise of 0.3 percentage points on Phillip Island. In contrast, Rest of Vic. saw employment contract by 0.9%, a labour force fall of 0.4%, and an unemployment rate increase of 0.4 percentage points during the same period. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Phillip Island's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.4%% over five years and 13.2% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

Income metrics place the area in the bottom 10% of locations nationally according to AreaSearch analysis

Phillip Island had a median taxpayer income of $40,603 and an average of $56,887 according to postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for the financial year 2022. This was lower than the national average, contrasting with Rest of Vic.'s median income of $48,741 and average income of $60,693. By September 2025, based on a Wage Price Index growth of 12.16%, estimated incomes would be approximately $45,540 (median) and $63,804 (average). The 2021 Census showed household, family, and personal incomes in Phillip Island fell between the 12th and 18th percentiles nationally. Income distribution data indicated that 27.7% of locals (4,417 people) earned between $800 - 1,499, contrasting with the surrounding region where the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket led at 30.3%. After housing costs, 84.9% of income remained, ranking at the 14th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking placed it in the 4th decile.

Phillip Island is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Phillip Island's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 89.1% houses and 11.0% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Non-Metro Vic.'s figures were 93.3% houses and 6.7% other dwellings. Home ownership in Phillip Island stood at 47.8%, with mortgaged dwellings at 29.2% and rented ones at 22.9%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,517, higher than Non-Metro Vic.'s average of $1,450. The median weekly rent figure in Phillip Island was $330, compared to Non-Metro Vic.'s $295. Nationally, Phillip Island's mortgage repayments were lower at $1,517 versus Australia's average of $1,863, and rents were substantially lower at $330 compared to the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 65.3% of all households, including 20.7% couples with children, 34.3% couples without children, and 9.6% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 34.7%, with lone person households at 32.2% and group households comprising 2.6% of the total. The median household size is 2.2 people, which is smaller than the Rest of Vic. average of 2.3.

The educational profile of Phillip Island exceeds national averages, with above-average qualification levels and academic performance metrics

Educational qualifications in Phillip Island trail regional benchmarks. As of 2021, 23.5% of residents aged 15+ hold university degrees compared to the Victorian average of 33.4%. This gap highlights potential for educational development and skills enhancement. Bachelor degrees are most common at 15.7%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (4.2%) and graduate diplomas (3.6%).

Trade and technical skills feature prominently, with 41.2% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials – advanced diplomas (13.5%) and certificates (27.7%). Educational participation is notably high, with 26.5% of residents currently enrolled in formal education as of the latest census data. This includes 10.1% in primary education, 7.6% in secondary education, and 3.0% pursuing tertiary education. Phillip Island's five schools had a combined enrollment reaching 1,746 students in 2020 while the area demonstrates typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 1046) with balanced educational opportunities. The educational mix includes four primary schools and one K-12 school.

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

Phillip Island has 54 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by five different routes that together offer 228 weekly passenger trips. The island's transport accessibility is rated as moderate, with residents on average located 423 meters from the nearest stop.

Each day, an average of 32 trips run across all routes, equating to about four weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Phillip Island is well below average with prevalence of common health conditions notable across both younger and older age cohorts

Phillip Island faces significant health challenges, with common conditions prevalent among both younger and older age groups. Only approximately 48% of its total population (~7,701 people) has private health cover, compared to the national average of 55.3%.

The most frequent medical conditions are arthritis (affecting 11.5% of residents) and mental health issues (8.8%). Conversely, 61.5% of residents report having no medical ailments, similar to the Rest of Vic.'s 61.6%. Phillip Island has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 30.6% (4,879 people), compared to Rest of Vic.'s 28.6%, indicating better health metrics among its elderly population.

Phillip Island ranks below the Australian average when compared to other local markets across a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Phillip Island had a cultural diversity below average, with 87.2% citizens, 81.3% born in Australia, and 93.4% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, comprising 42.4%. Judaism's representation was similar to the rest of Victoria, both at 0.1%.

The top three ancestry groups were English (32.2%), Australian (27.8%), and Irish (9.6%). Dutch, Scottish, and Welsh groups showed notable divergences: Dutch were overrepresented at 2.0% compared to 2.5%, Scottish at 9.1% versus 9.3%, and Welsh at 0.7% against 0.5%.

Phillip Island ranks among the oldest 10% of areas nationwide

The median age in Phillip Island is 52 years, which is significantly higher than the average of 43 years for the Rest of Vic., and also notably above the national norm of 38 years. The 65-74 age cohort is over-represented on Phillip Island at 18.8%, compared to the Rest of Vic.'s average, while the 25-34 year-olds are under-represented at 8.1%. This concentration of the 65-74 cohort is well above the national average of 9.4%. Between 2021 and present, the 35 to 44 age group has increased from 10.5% to 11.5% of the population. Conversely, the 55 to 64 cohort has decreased from 17.3% to 16.1%, and the 45 to 54 age group has dropped from 11.9% to 10.8%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes for Phillip Island, with the strongest projected growth in the 25-34 cohort, expected to grow by 81%, adding 1,052 residents to reach a total of 2,344.