Housing in Franklin Township spans a wide range in both style and density. Near the New Brunswick line, older, tightly built streets give way to sprawling, tree-lined subdivisions of single-family homes, many on half-acre or larger lots. Condominium and townhome communities add more attached options, and active-adult developments represent a growing share of new construction, reflecting a population that is aging in place. The Somerset area contains centrally located apartment and townhome complexes close to shopping and transit corridors. This mix means buyers can find everything from a starter condo to a detached home with substantial yard space within a single township, a breadth that is unusual for central New Jersey municipalities.

Franklin Township is composed of several distinct sections rather than one downtown. The Somerset area functions as the township's commercial and population center, with dense apartment and townhome developments, retail along its main corridors, and easy access to Route 27 and New Brunswick. Griggstown, along the Delaware & Raritan Canal, preserves a quieter, historic, canal-side character near open space. Other unincorporated hamlets and residential pockets fill out the township's forty-six square miles, with mature suburban subdivisions, condominium clusters, and active-adult communities distributed between them. This structure means residents identify as much with their specific section—and its schools and parks—as with the township as a whole.

Franklin Township offers a suburban lifestyle with unusual demographic breadth, reflected in its place among New Jersey's most diverse municipalities. Day-to-day life centers on shopping and services along the Route 27 and Somerset corridors, while New Brunswick and Princeton supply the region's larger cultural, dining, and employment draws within a short drive. Rutgers University and Princeton University put lectures, athletics, and events close at hand. The township's open space—particularly Six Mile Run and the D&R Canal towpath—gives residents an accessible outlet for walking, cycling, and riding. The result is a practical, well-connected community that appeals to families, commuters, and older adults seeking central New Jersey convenience without a dense urban setting.

Public education is provided by Franklin Township Public Schools, a district that operates elementary and middle schools along with Franklin High School. The district is among the larger in Somerset County and serves a student body notable for its diversity. Given the township's size and its multiple residential sections, school assignment follows neighborhood attendance zones, so families often weigh specific school catchments when choosing where to live. Higher education is also nearby: Rutgers University in New Brunswick and Princeton University sit within a short drive, and several private and parochial school options serve the broader Somerset County area.

Franklin Township benefits from a central location on New Jersey's major corridors. Interstate 287 and Route 27 cross the township, connecting it to the Princeton area to the south and the Somerville and Morristown areas to the north, while access to the Garden State Parkway and New Jersey Turnpike lies nearby. Commuters to New York typically use NJ Transit rail from New Brunswick or Princeton Junction, both within a short drive. This combination of highway access and commuter rail, plus bus service along its main roads, makes Franklin a practical base for households working across central New Jersey or in Manhattan, even though the township itself remains car-oriented for daily errands.

Franklin Township's standout recreational asset is the Six Mile Run Reservoir Site, a 3,037-acre expanse of forest, fields, and trails within the Delaware & Raritan Canal State Park that offers hiking, biking, horseback riding, and birdwatching. The Delaware & Raritan Canal towpath runs through the Griggstown section, providing a flat, historic trail corridor that is part of a regional network reaching the Delaware River. The township also maintains neighborhood parks, ballfields, and playgrounds across its sections, and the larger recreation and entertainment offerings of New Brunswick and Princeton sit a short drive away, giving residents both immediate open space and regional amenities.