Kearny's housing market is defined by older, closely spaced construction. The predominant stock consists of single-family and two-family homes built in the early twentieth century, many of them brick or frame structures on narrow lots, along with a substantial number of multi-family apartment buildings. Detached homes with driveways and small yards are common in the residential sections, while denser attached housing lines the busier corridors. The town's housing is generally more affordable than neighboring Hudson County communities closer to the Hudson River waterfront, which has long made it attractive to buyers and renters seeking proximity to Newark and New York without waterfront price levels. Renovation and maintenance of the older housing stock are ongoing features of the local market.

Kearny's neighborhoods are organized around its commercial and civic spine, Kearny Avenue, which runs through the center of town and is lined with shops, restaurants, and services. Residential blocks radiate outward from this corridor, with the densest housing concentrated near the center and along the riverfronts. The town's northern reaches blend toward the neighboring borough of North Arlington, while the southern and eastern sections sit closer to Newark and the Passaic River. South Kearny, near the riverfront, remains the most industrial part of town, home to warehouses and freight infrastructure. The overall pattern is a compact, walkable town where most residents live within a short distance of schools, parks, and the commercial district.

Soccer is woven into everyday life in Kearny. The town's Scottish and Irish roots live on through institutions like the Scots American Club, and local fields and leagues carry a tradition that stretches back more than a century. Beyond soccer, Kearny offers a dense, walkable lifestyle with a diverse food scene concentrated along Kearny Avenue, where bakeries, delis, and casual restaurants reflect the town's immigrant heritage. Community life is built around churches, clubs, and youth sports, and the town's proximity to Newark and New York gives residents easy access to major-league sports, arts, and employment. It is a tight-knit, working- and middle-class community where long family histories coexist with an increasingly multicultural present.

Public education in Kearny is provided by the Kearny School District, a PK-12 district serving the town's roughly 5,500 students across seven schools, with Kearny High School as its sole secondary school. The district's facilities are spread through the town's residential neighborhoods, and the schools serve as central gathering points for the community. Families considering Kearny generally evaluate individual school assignments by neighborhood, and the district's accessibility and established programs are a draw for many. Kearny's location also places residents within reach of the region's higher-education institutions, including Rutgers University-Newark and New Jersey Institute of Technology, both a short commute away.

Kearny's transportation network is built for commuters. The New Jersey Turnpike (Interstate 95) passes through the area, and Route 7 plus Routes 1&9 connect the town to Newark, Jersey City, and the broader Hudson County highway system. NJ Transit bus service provides direct links into Newark and New York City, and the Harrison PATH station is just across the Passaic River, offering rapid rail access to Manhattan. The town's rail history is notable as well: the Kearny Connection helped enable Midtown Direct service for the Morris and Essex Lines, reflecting the area's role in regional transit. For drivers, the Lincoln and Holland tunnel approaches and Newark Liberty International Airport are all within a short distance.

Recreation in Kearny centers on its parks and, above all, its soccer fields. The town's public parks provide playgrounds, ball fields, and open space in a densely built landscape, and the local soccer infrastructure carries the town's "Soccertown, USA" reputation into youth and adult leagues alike. The Scots American Club remains a longstanding social and cultural anchor. Because of its urban density, residents also rely on the wider region for recreation, with the Meadowlands sports complex, Branch Brook Park in Newark, and the Hudson River waterfront all within easy reach. The town's walkable streets and compact scale make local parks and the commercial district accessible on foot.