Hopatcong's housing market is defined by its waterfront. Lakeside homes and cottages, many rooted in the borough's resort-era past, sit alongside more conventional single-family residences on the borough's interior streets. Properties with direct lake access or deeded lake rights anchor the higher end of the market, while the surrounding neighborhoods offer a more typical suburban mix of mid-century and newer homes. The conversion of former summer cottages into year-round dwellings gives parts of the borough a distinctive, eclectic character. Overall, the stock is predominantly single-family and owner-occupied, with the lake serving as the community's organizing amenity.

Hopatcong is organized along the shoreline and the roads leading to it, with neighborhoods reflecting the borough's growth from resort community to permanent town. Areas closest to the lake and Hopatcong State Park offer direct water access and marina services, while inland sections contain more traditional residential streets. The borough borders the larger Lake Hopatcong region, which spans several municipalities and provides shared access to the lake's restaurants, marinas, and recreation. This structure gives residents a close-knit borough identity within a broader lake community that extends across Sussex and Morris counties.

Life in Hopatcong centers on Lake Hopatcong. Residents boat, fish, swim, and paddle through the warmer months, and private marinas around the lake provide rentals, slips, and services. Hopatcong State Park offers a public beach and boat launch, while the lake's restaurants and gathering spots add a social dimension. The borough's heritage as a celebrated resort destination still colors its identity, from lakeside landmarks to a steady stream of seasonal visitors. Beyond the lake, the surrounding New Jersey Highlands provide hiking and open space, and the pace of daily life remains quieter than the region's more densely developed suburbs.

Public school students in Hopatcong attend the Hopatcong Borough School District, which operates the borough's elementary schools, including Hudson Maxim Elementary. As a small K-8 district, it serves local students before they advance to regional high schools through sending relationships with neighboring districts, a common arrangement among Sussex County municipalities. Families considering a move should confirm current grade-level configurations and high school assignments directly with the district, as small-district structures in the region can shift. The district's community schools anchor the borough's family-oriented character.

Hopatcong is reached primarily via Interstate 80, which passes to the south of the borough and connects eastward toward the New York metropolitan area and westward into Pennsylvania. State and county roads, including routes leading through the lake region, link Hopatcong to neighboring towns such as Jefferson and Mount Arlington and to employment centers in Morris County. The area is automobile-dependent for most trips, though regional bus service and park-and-ride options serve commuters. The drive to Manhattan is approximately an hour or more depending on traffic, positioning Hopatcong among the westernmost of the region's lake-oriented commuter communities.

Lake Hopatcong is the center of recreation in the borough, offering boating, fishing, water skiing, kayaking, and swimming across its 2,500 acres. Hopatcong State Park, at the southwestern end of the lake, provides a public beach, boat ramp, and picnic areas, and private marinas around the lake rent boats and sell water-sport services. The lake's origins as a Morris Canal reservoir and its resort-era history add a layer of heritage to the waterfront. Surrounding state parks and preserves extend recreation into hiking and nature observation, and winter brings ice fishing and quieter shoreline seasons to the lake community.