Hightstown's housing stock reflects its age and its compact geography. The borough is home to older single-family houses, many with front porches and tree-lined streets near the historic downtown, along with duplexes and smaller multi-family buildings that give the town a denser, walkable feel than surrounding suburban areas. The Peddie School campus occupies a substantial share of the borough's landscape. Because Hightstown spans just over one square mile, available homes tend to sit on modest lots, and much of the newer, larger-lot housing in the area is found across the boundary in East Windsor Township. The result is a housing market defined by historic character and walkability rather than new construction.

Hightstown's lifestyle centers on a genuine, walkable downtown where Main Street's restaurants, cafes, and independent shops draw residents and visitors alike. The Peddie School adds a steady cultural and educational presence, and the borough's diversity, drawn from commuter families and a mix of backgrounds, shapes its community life. Residents benefit from the shared services and retail of neighboring East Windsor while keeping a distinct, historic small-town identity. With New York and Philadelphia each within commuting range, Hightstown offers a balance of small-town Main Street life and access to the larger metropolitan region's employment and culture.

Public school students in Hightstown attend the East Windsor Regional School District, which serves Hightstown and East Windsor Township from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. The regional district enrolls roughly 5,000 students and operates Hightstown High School, giving the borough a shared educational system with its larger neighbor. Alongside the public schools, the Peddie School is a nationally known private boarding and day school founded in 1864, enrolling several hundred students on its 280-acre campus. Together, the two systems make education a defining feature of Hightstown's identity.

Hightstown's location makes it one of central New Jersey's more convenient commuting points. New Jersey Turnpike Exit 8 sits just outside the borough, while US Route 130 and New Jersey Routes 33 and 571 carry local traffic to surrounding communities and employment centers. The Hightstown Bypass, Route 133, channels through-traffic around the center of town. Rail commuters use Princeton Junction station, about six miles west, where NJ Transit and Amtrak service connects to New York, Philadelphia, and points along the Northeast Corridor. The borough's position roughly midway between New York City and Philadelphia defines its role as an outer-ring commuter suburb.

Recreation in and around Hightstown draws on both the borough's own green space and its central location. Peddie Lake and the borough's parks offer close-to-home outdoor space, while the town sits roughly midway between Monmouth Battlefield State Park and Princeton Battlefield State Park, two Revolutionary War sites preserved for hiking and history. The compact, walkable layout of the borough itself encourages getting around on foot, and the wider Mercer County park system and nearby Delaware Valley offer additional recreation within a short drive.