Borrego Springs' housing is shaped by its remote, low-density desert setting. Homes are predominantly single-family and spread across the valley floor, with a mix of year-round residences and seasonal or vacation properties. The area also includes resort and RV accommodations such as The Springs at Borrego, reflecting its role as a getaway destination. Development is constrained by the surrounding state park, keeping the town compact and its housing stock limited in scale, which preserves the quiet, wide-open character that draws residents and visitors alike.

Borrego Springs offers a deliberately slow, low-key lifestyle. With a handful of cafes, a few shops, and little nightlife, daily life revolves around the outdoors, the desert, and the night sky rather than commercial entertainment. Dramatic sunsets, star-filled skies, and the quiet of the surrounding state park set the tone. The community's small scale fosters a close-knit feel, and its Dark Sky designation is a point of civic pride that shapes everything from outdoor lighting to local events.

Borrego Springs is served by the Borrego Springs Unified School District, a small district that provides a K-12 education within the community. The district's compact size reflects the town's small population and close-knit character, with a single campus system serving local students. For families considering a move to the desert, the school system is a defining part of a community where school and town life are closely intertwined.

Borrego Springs is reached via desert highways across San Diego County, sitting roughly 88 miles northeast of the city of San Diego. Its remoteness is central to its identity: there is no urban freeway at the doorstep, and the drive in crosses the open desert and mountains of the state park. That distance is part of the trade-off residents accept in exchange for the town's dark skies and quiet, and it means most errands and regional travel require a deliberate trip out of the valley.

Recreation in Borrego Springs is dominated by the outdoors and the sky. Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, which surrounds the town, offers hiking, camping, and off-road exploration across a vast desert landscape. Stargazing is a signature activity, supported by the town's International Dark Sky designation and year-round astronomy events. In wildflower superbloom years, the desert itself becomes the attraction, drawing visitors from across the region to see the bloom across the valley.