San Martin's housing stock reflects its rural, unincorporated character. The community is known for large-lot and estate properties, with single-family homes set on acreage, horse properties with barns and arenas, and a scattering of older ranch houses. Many parcels are several acres or more, and the area's rural zoning has limited high-density development, preserving a landscape of pastures, orchards, and vineyards. Compared with the denser suburbs of Morgan Hill and San Jose, San Martin offers substantially more land per home. Buyers are typically drawn by the space, privacy, and equestrian or agricultural potential, often as a tradeoff for a longer commute to Silicon Valley.

San Martin does not have formal subdivisions in the suburban sense; instead, it is a collection of rural properties, ranch estates, and small clusters of homes spread across the valley floor and foothills. The community's modest center along Monterey Road and U.S. 101 holds its schools and limited commercial services, while residential parcels radiate outward into pastures, orchards, and vineyard country. Horse ranches and agricultural operations intermix with homes, giving the area a working-landscape feel. This low-density, parcel-by-parcel development pattern is the defining feature of San Martin's neighborhoods and sets it apart from the master-planned communities found elsewhere in Santa Clara County.

Life in San Martin is shaped by its rural, outdoors-oriented setting. Residents enjoy space, privacy, and a pace far slower than the surrounding Silicon Valley suburbs, with equestrian activities, gardening, and small-scale farming woven into daily life. The area's wineries and tasting rooms are part of the Santa Clara Valley wine scene, and weekend recreation often means riding, hiking the nearby foothills, or exploring the farmland. The community is unincorporated, so residents rely on Santa Clara County services and nearby Morgan Hill and Gilroy for shopping and dining. For those who want acreage and a rural feel while staying within commuting distance of San Jose, San Martin offers a rare balance.

San Martin is served by the Morgan Hill Unified School District, which covers nearly 300 square miles and serves the communities of Morgan Hill, San Martin, and a small portion of South San Jose. The district operates elementary, middle, and high schools, including the San Martin/Gwinn dual immersion school in the community. Families in San Martin are assigned to schools based on their address within the district. The district's campuses serve as community anchors, and higher education options in the region include Gavilan College in Gilroy and the universities of the greater Bay Area.

San Martin sits along U.S. Route 101, the principal freeway linking the southern Santa Clara Valley to San Jose and the Peninsula to the north and to Gilroy and the Central Coast to the south. The community is roughly 15 to 20 miles south of San Jose, making it a feasible base for Silicon Valley commuters, though the drive can be affected by Bay Area traffic. Monterey Road, the historic highway that parallels U.S. 101, runs through the center of the community. Commuter rail service is available at nearby stations in Morgan Hill and Gilroy on Caltrain, and regional air travel is served by the Bay Area's major airports.

Recreation in San Martin centers on the outdoors. The community's rural setting provides space for horseback riding, with numerous equestrian properties and nearby trail access into the Santa Cruz Mountains foothills to the west. Residents enjoy proximity to the region's wineries and tasting rooms, and to regional parks and open space preserves in southern Santa Clara County, including Henry W. Coe State Park to the east. Gilroy's golf courses and Morgan Hill's parks and reservoirs—including Anderson Lake and Coyote Lake—are within a short drive. For those who value open land and outdoor pursuits, San Martin's rural landscape is the primary draw.