Richland's housing stock is shaped by its wartime expansion. The oldest residential core is made up of the alphabet houses built from 1943 onward for Manhattan Project workers — modest, efficiently designed single-family homes in a range of lettered floor plans that remain among the city's most recognizable and historically significant neighborhoods. Around and beyond this core, the city has grown with mid-century ranch homes and, especially toward the south, newer subdivisions. The result is a varied market where an 80-year-old alphabet house near the river can sit a short drive from newer construction, giving buyers a broad span of eras and settings.

Richland's historic center is the alphabet-house district, bounded roughly by Interstate 182, Highway 240, Van Giesen Street, and George Washington Way, where rows of mid-1940s government-built homes form a concentration unique to the city. North Richland is anchored by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory campus and the Hanford connection, while the city's southern reaches hold many of its newer residential subdivisions, built as the Tri-Cities grew. Across the Yakima River, the separate city of West Richland shares schools and daily services with Richland, so households often consider the two communities together when moving to the area.

Richland's lifestyle is defined by sun, science, and the river. The Tri-Cities enjoy one of the sunniest climates in Washington, and residents make the most of it through boating, fishing, and riverside parks along the Columbia and Yakima rivers. The surrounding Columbia Valley is one of the Northwest's premier wine regions, with hundreds of wineries and tasting rooms, including the nearby Red Mountain appellation, woven into weekend life. A steady base of researchers and professionals gives the city a well-educated, community-minded feel, while the three-city Tri-Cities arrangement means shopping, dining, and events are shared across Richland, Kennewick, and Pasco.

Richland School District #400 serves the city of Richland and neighboring West Richland, operating roughly two dozen schools from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade for about 14,000 students. The district includes multiple elementary, middle, and high schools, and is the primary public option for families across the west side of the Tri-Cities. Kennewick and Pasco maintain separate districts on their side of the region, so school assignments depend on which of the three cities a household lives in.

Richland is connected to the rest of the Tri-Cities and the wider region by Interstate 182, which crosses the Columbia River and links the city to Pasco and Kennewick, and by Highway 240, the main bypass that loops through the area. Within the Tri-Cities, surface arterials such as George Washington Way carry local traffic. The Tri-Cities regional airport in Pasco provides commercial air service, while the broader region is reached by the interstate network toward Spokane, the Columbia Gorge, and Interstate 84.

Recreation in Richland centers on the two rivers. Columbia Park and other riverside areas offer playgrounds, picnic grounds, and walking trails along the Columbia, while boat launches on both the Columbia and Yakima rivers support kayaking, paddleboarding, fishing, and water sports. The arid, sunny climate extends the outdoor season, and the surrounding wine country — including the Red Mountain appellation just outside the city — draws visitors to tasting rooms and vineyards. For longer excursions, residents are within reach of the region's river, desert, and mountain recreation.