Santee's housing stock is a classic East County San Diego mix, dominated by single-family homes in established and newer subdivisions. Neighborhoods such as Sky Ranch, Carlton Hills, and the Town Center area offer detached homes, many with yards and mountain views, while a smaller share of apartments and multifamily communities, including gated complexes, serve renters. The city's housing supply is relatively constrained for the region, and its position just beyond Mission Trails gives many homes easy access to open space. Buyers are drawn by the combination of suburban space, good schools, and the trolley connection to downtown.

Santee's neighborhoods fan out from the San Diego River corridor and the Town Center commercial district. Sky Ranch, in the city's northern hills, is a newer residential area known for its larger homes and foothill setting, while Carlton Hills offers established single-family neighborhoods on gently rolling terrain. The Town Center area anchors retail and civic life, with neighborhoods on either side ranging from mid-century homes to recent development. Much of the city's western and southern edges give way to Mission Trails Regional Park and the river corridor, so many neighborhoods feel directly connected to open space.

Santee offers an active, family-oriented lifestyle built around its outdoor setting. The Santee Lakes Recreation Preserve gives residents a local place to fish, camp, and walk, while Mission Trails Regional Park puts miles of hiking and biking trails, including Cowles Mountain, at the city's doorstep. The community is suburban and civic-minded, with strong youth sports, community events, and a practical, low-key feel compared with San Diego's coastal neighborhoods. Residents reach the beaches in about 20 minutes and downtown via the Green Line trolley, balancing outdoor recreation with easy access to the rest of the region.

Santee's public schools are divided between two districts. The Santee School District operates nine elementary schools serving about 6,100 students in grades K-8, with a history of more than a century in the community. High school students attend the Grossmont Union High School District, which operates Santana High School and West Hills High School within the city. The two-tier structure is standard for East County San Diego, and the districts' reputations are a significant draw for families. Private school options and the universities of greater San Diego round out the educational landscape.

Santee is unusually well connected for an East County suburb. The San Diego Trolley's Green Line terminates in the city, offering a roughly 19-mile light-rail ride into downtown San Diego, while State Route 52 runs east-west to the coast and State Route 125 provides north-south freeway access. State Route 67 extends northeast toward Lakeside and the backcountry. The beaches and Mission Valley are within about 20 minutes by car, and San Diego International Airport is reachable via the freeway network. Most residents drive for daily errands, but the trolley makes a car-free downtown commute a realistic option.

Santee's recreation is anchored by two major open spaces. Santee Lakes Recreation Preserve offers seven lakes with fishing, camping, walking paths, and picnic areas, functioning as the city's signature outdoor venue. Adjacent Mission Trails Regional Park, one of the largest urban parks in the United States, provides an extensive network of hiking and biking trails, the historic Old Mission Dam, and Cowles Mountain, the highest point in the city of San Diego. The San Diego River corridor adds greenway access, and the Pacific beaches lie about 20 minutes west, giving residents a full range of outdoor options.