Livingston's housing stock reflects its small-town East Texas setting. In town, single-family homes on modest, tree-shaded lots dominate, with ranch-style and traditional designs common. Around Lake Livingston and its coves, lakefront homes, weekend cabins, and waterfront lots cater to recreational buyers and retirees. The outskirts offer rural acreage, wooded parcels, and manufactured housing, giving the area a wide range of options. Overall, Livingston provides a lower-density, affordable alternative to the Houston metro for those who want space and proximity to the lake and forest.

Livingston's neighborhoods cluster around the historic downtown and county courthouse, with older homes on gridded streets near the center. Established subdivisions extend outward along the main highways, offering conventional single-family homes. The most distinctive residential settings lie along Lake Livingston, where lakefront communities and private docks cater to both full-time residents and weekend lake-home owners. Rural roads east and south of town open into wooded acreage and small acreage communities, reflecting the surrounding Piney Woods landscape and the area's recreational character.

Livingston offers an unhurried East Texas pace centered on lake life, the Piney Woods, and small-town community traditions. Residents spend weekends fishing, boating, and camping at Lake Livingston, and the Sam Houston National Forest provides a wooded backdrop for hiking and hunting. The town's amenities — an 18-hole golf course, parks, ball fields, a bowling alley, and a public library — serve as everyday gathering places. The Alabama-Coushatta Tribe's presence adds a cultural dimension to the region. The town's economy revolves around county government, timber, services, and lake-area tourism, giving it a grounded, close-knit character.

Livingston is served by Livingston ISD, the school district for the city and the surrounding Polk County area, operating elementary, middle, and high school campuses. The district serves a largely rural student population across the county seat and its outlying communities. Families relocating to Livingston typically confirm school assignments by specific address, as the district's attendance zones extend beyond the city into the surrounding Piney Woods communities.

Livingston sits along U.S. Highway 59, a major East Texas corridor that is part of the future Interstate 69 route, connecting the town to Houston roughly 74 miles to the southwest and Lufkin about 46 miles to the north. State highways link Livingston to surrounding Polk County communities and the Lake Livingston area. The town maintains a municipal airport for general aviation. Because the region is rural, most residents rely on personal vehicles for commuting and errands, with Houston reachable in about an hour and a half by highway.

Recreation in Livingston revolves around Lake Livingston and the surrounding Piney Woods. Lake Livingston State Park offers fishing, boating, swimming, camping, and more than 10 miles of hiking trails at the edge of the Sam Houston National Forest. The national forest itself provides hunting, off-road trails, and horseback riding. In town, residents enjoy an 18-hole golf course, lighted tennis courts, ball fields, and parks. The Alabama-Coushatta Tribe's reservation and cultural attractions add to the area's recreational and educational offerings, making the region a destination for both outdoor enthusiasts and day-trippers from Houston.