Whitewater's housing stock is sparse and decidedly rural-desert in character, consisting of scattered single-family homes on larger parcels, along with some ranch and utility-related properties tied to the area's wind and agricultural uses. Development is limited by the community's unincorporated status and its location at the mouth of Whitewater Canyon. Because there is little formal subdivision activity, the housing landscape is varied and individual rather than planned, offering open space, mountain views, and a sense of seclusion rare in the more built-up Coachella Valley towns nearby.

Whitewater is too small and unincorporated to have formal neighborhoods; it is better understood as a string of rural properties along Interstate 10 and Whitewater Canyon Road. The area near the freeway and the wind farm is defined by open land and infrastructure, while the canyon mouth near the Whitewater Preserve offers a more scenic, tucked-away setting along the river. Homes are spread widely across the desert floor and foothills, giving residents privacy and long views rather than a conventional street-and-lot pattern.

Life in Whitewater is quiet, outdoors-oriented, and deeply tied to the desert landscape. The daily backdrop is the wind through the pass and the steep flanks of the San Bernardino and San Jacinto mountains. Residents tend toward an independent, nature-centered lifestyle, with hiking in Whitewater Canyon and the surrounding wilderness among the chief pastimes. For shopping, dining, and services, the community relies on nearby Palm Springs, Cabazon, and Banning. The tourist and resort energy of the Coachella Valley is minutes east, but Whitewater itself remains low-key and uncrowded.

Whitewater is defined by Interstate 10, which runs directly through the community and carries travelers between Palm Springs, the Coachella Valley, and the Los Angeles basin. State Route 62 branches north from the highway toward the high desert communities of Yucca Valley and Joshua Tree. Palm Springs International Airport lies a short drive east, and the community's location in the San Gorgonio Pass makes it a natural gateway between the desert and the Inland Empire. Like most desert communities, daily travel is car-based.

Recreation in Whitewater centers on the outdoors. The Whitewater Preserve, managed by The Wildlands Conservancy, spans 2,851 acres at the mouth of Whitewater Canyon and offers hiking trails, a seasonal stream, picnic areas, camping, and access into the San Gorgonio Wilderness. The preserve sits within the Sand to Snow National Monument, an expanse linking desert floor to alpine peaks. The San Gorgonio Pass Wind Farm is a striking visual landmark, while Palm Springs, the Coachella Valley, and the trails of the surrounding mountains extend the options in every direction.