Anderson Island's housing is rustic and island-oriented. The stock consists largely of cabins, modest single-family homes, and forested lots spread across the island's 7.75 square miles, with many properties inside or near the Riviera Community Club, where membership opens access to the golf course, marina, and lake parks. Development is low-density and constrained by the ferry-only access, keeping the island free of suburban sprawl. Buyers are typically drawn by the island lifestyle, lake and saltwater access, and relative affordability compared with other Puget Sound islands, accepting the ferry commute and limited services as part of the tradeoff.

Anderson Island is organized around a few defining areas rather than traditional neighborhoods. The Riviera Community Club, with its golf course, marina, and lake parks, anchors one of the island's main residential concentrations. The three lakes, including Lake Josephine, draw lakefront and near-lake homes, while the island's forested interior holds more secluded parcels. Andy's Marine Park and the saltwater beaches mark the waterfront edges. Throughout, the island's small population and ferry-only access keep development scattered and low-density, giving Anderson Island the feel of one continuous island community rather than a set of distinct subdivisions.

Life on Anderson Island is defined by the ferry. The twenty-minute crossing to Steilacoom sets the rhythm of daily life, shaping commutes, school schedules, and errands, and the island's isolation fosters a self-reliant, close-knit community. Residents enjoy a quiet, nature-centered lifestyle among forests, three stocked lakes, and saltwater shoreline, with the Riviera Community Club providing social and recreational life for its members. There is limited commercial development, so most shopping and services happen on the mainland. The island attracts full-time residents, retirees, and seasonal owners seeking the calm of Puget Sound island living within reach of the Tacoma-Seattle corridor.

Anderson Island is part of the Steilacoom Historical School District. The island hosts Anderson Island Elementary School, keeping the youngest students on-island, while middle and high school students take the ferry to Steilacoom for their education, with Steilacoom High School serving the upper grades. This arrangement means school life is tied to the ferry schedule, a defining feature of growing up on the island. For families, it offers a small, community-supported elementary school and a mainland secondary pathway, with the district's schools a short ferry and drive away.

Transportation to and from Anderson Island depends entirely on the water. The Pierce County Ferry operates between Steilacoom and the island, a crossing of about twenty minutes, with a second vessel added during peak summer periods. There is no bridge, so private boats are the other primary option. Once on the mainland, Steilacoom connects to the wider Tacoma-Seattle road network. For residents, the ferry is the constant of daily logistics, scheduling commutes, school runs, and errands, and it is the defining element of the island's commute rather than any highway or rail line.

Anderson Island's recreation is anchored by water and the Riviera Community Club. The club provides members a golf course, marina, tennis and pickleball courts, lake parks with swimming areas, and hiking and biking trails. The island's three lakes are stocked with bass and trout, with Lake Josephine reserved for non-motorized boating, and the saltwater shoreline supports beach access and paddling. Andy's Marine Park offers a tidal-lagoon camping spit for water-trail users. Forested trails and wildlife viewing round out the outdoors. For residents and club members, recreation is built directly into daily island life rather than requiring a trip to the mainland.