Lodi's housing stock is defined by older, well-built single-family and two-family homes, with a substantial share of duplexes and small multifamily properties that reflect the borough's early-20th-century development. Many homes feature colonial, cape, or pre-war styles on modest, tree-lined lots. In recent decades, infill construction and renovations have added modernized units without displacing the borough's established character. The concentration of two-family homes appeals to owner-occupants seeking rental income or multi-generational living. Compared with larger-lot Bergen County towns, Lodi offers a denser, more accessible entry point into the county while retaining neighborhood-school proximity and walkability.

Lodi is a compact borough where distinct neighborhoods run together along a traditional street grid. The area around Memorial Park and the borough center near Main Street functions as an informal downtown with shops, restaurants, and civic buildings. Residential streets fan out toward the Saddle River to the west and the Route 46/Teterboro side to the south, with school-anchored pockets near Columbus, Roosevelt, Hilltop, and Washington schools. The borough's small size means most neighborhoods are within a short walk of a school, park, or commercial corridor. Neighboring communities — Garfield to the south, Hasbrouck Heights and Saddle Brook to the north and west — blend with Lodi along shared commercial roads.

Lodi's lifestyle is built around its tight-knit, family-oriented culture and a celebrated Italian-American dining scene. The borough's Main Street and Route 46 corridors are known for long-running Italian restaurants, pizzerias, delis, and bakeries, giving residents a distinctive food culture that draws visitors from across Bergen County. Community life centers on the schools, local churches, and seasonal town events, with Saddle River County Park providing year-round outdoor recreation. The compact, walkable street grid encourages a neighborhood feel that contrasts with more car-dependent suburbs. For residents who commute to New York or work in the nearby Meadowlands and Teterboro employment centers, Lodi offers short commutes and an active local food-and-family culture.

Public education in Lodi is provided by the Lodi School District, a single-municipality K-12 district that operates seven schools serving roughly 3,300 students. Elementary students attend neighborhood schools such as Columbus, Hilltop, Roosevelt, Washington, and Wilson, before moving to Thomas Jefferson Middle School and Lodi High School. The district's small, community-based structure keeps school attendance local and walkable for many families. Families also have access to Bergen County's vocational-technical and magnet programs, as well as private and parochial schools in neighboring towns. The district's size and neighborhood-school model are part of Lodi's close-knit character.

Lodi offers strong commuter access for a borough its size. NJ Transit's Plauderville station, on the Main/Bergen County Line, provides rail service toward Hoboken and Secaucus Junction with connections to New York Penn Station, reaching Manhattan in roughly 30 to 45 minutes including transfers. Multiple NJ Transit bus routes run directly through the borough. By car, US-46 and Route 17 cross Lodi, while I-80 and the Garden State Parkway are minutes away. Teterboro Airport borders the borough to the south, and the Meadowlands and George Washington Bridge corridors are nearby. These links make Lodi a practical base for commuters to Manhattan, Jersey City, and northern New Jersey employment hubs.

Saddle River County Park is Lodi's most significant recreational asset. The 587-acre Bergen County park traces the Saddle River and its tributaries for miles, offering a paved multi-use path, fishing ponds, picnic groves, playgrounds, and athletic fields, with a dog park and winter ice skating in some sections. Within the borough, Memorial Park and smaller neighborhood parks provide playgrounds, ball fields, and gathering space. The park's linear trail connects Lodi to neighboring communities for walking and cycling. For indoor recreation and larger events, residents draw on Bergen County's broader park system, including nearby Van Saun County Park and Overpeck County Park.