Housing in Sky Valley is dominated by manufactured homes and RV-oriented communities, a pattern established in the early 1970s when the area was developed as a desert retreat. Many homes sit on leased lots within resort-style communities, with a smaller share of conventional single-family houses and vacant desert parcels scattered across the valley floor. The stock is generally low-maintenance and oriented to seasonal and retirement living. Land is plentiful and relatively inexpensive compared with Palm Springs and other Coachella Valley cities, which keeps entry costs accessible for desert-home buyers.

Sky Valley offers a relaxed, outdoors-oriented desert lifestyle. The hot mineral pools and spas of Sky Valley Resort are central to daily life, and the community's retirement and seasonal population sets a calm, social rhythm. Residents enjoy the high-desert setting — wide skies, mountain views, and easy trips to Joshua Tree National Park for hiking, rock climbing, and stargazing. Desert Hot Springs supplies groceries and services, while Palm Springs provides dining, shopping, and culture about twenty minutes away. The warm, dry climate supports year-round outdoor living.

Sky Valley is part of the Desert Hot Springs area, whose public schools are operated by the Palm Springs Unified School District, which covers the northwestern Coachella Valley. Students attend district schools in Desert Hot Springs, and families have access to the district's full K–12 pathway as well as charter and private options across the Coachella Valley. The community's largely adult population means local school enrollment is limited, but College of the Desert in Palm Desert serves higher education.

Sky Valley sits off Dillon Road and is reached via Interstate 10, the Coachella Valley's main east-west freeway, with Desert Hot Springs a few minutes west and Palm Springs about twenty minutes south. Palm Springs International Airport provides commercial flights, and the Coachella Valley's other cities — Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage, and Palm Desert — are all within a short drive. There is no local rail service, so travel is by car, with the open desert roads and mountain passes shaping the region's driving patterns.

Recreation in Sky Valley begins with its natural hot mineral springs, enjoyed at Sky Valley Resort's pools and spas. The surrounding desert offers hiking, off-roading, and wide-open vistas, while Joshua Tree National Park — with its iconic rock formations, trails, and dark skies for stargazing — is a short drive northeast. The San Jacinto Mountains rise to the south, and the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, golf courses, and cultural amenities of the Coachella Valley are all within easy reach.