Housing in Surfside Beach reflects its role as both a permanent community and a beach getaway. Modest beach cottages and stilted, elevated homes line the streets near the Gulf and the bayside, while vacation rentals and a beachfront RV resort serve seasonal visitors. Most residents own their homes, and the community's rural, island character means lots are often oriented toward water views and beach access rather than dense subdivision layouts. Newer construction blends with older beach houses along Bluewater Highway, the island's main thoroughfare.

Surfside Beach is laid out along Follet's Island, with Bluewater Highway serving as the main spine between the Gulf shoreline and the bayside. Development clusters near the beachfront and along the road toward the jetty and harbor channel, with homes oriented to the water. The village's small scale means there are no large named subdivisions; instead, a mix of beach cottages, stilted homes, and vacation properties forms a single coastal community. The nearby Surfside Jetty County Park and beach access points anchor the island's public spaces.

Life in Surfside Beach revolves around the Gulf. Residents and visitors spend their days fishing the jetty and harbor channel, walking the beach, birding, shelling, or simply enjoying the slower rhythm of a small coastal town. Local seafood and casual bars and restaurants serve the beach crowd, and the town leans toward a laid-back, retiree-friendly atmosphere. Weekends bring day-trippers from the Houston area, while the off-season returns the island to its quieter residential pace. The result is an unpretentious beach community where outdoor life comes first.

Students in Surfside Beach attend schools in the nearby Brazosport area, with campuses in the Freeport–Lake Jackson region of Brazoria County. The small size of Surfside Beach means school facilities are located off the island in neighboring communities, with transportation provided for eligible students. Families seeking private or specialized options can look to the larger Brazosport-area schools and programs, and higher education is available in the Houston region within commuting distance.

Surfside Beach is reached via State Highway 288 from the Houston area, a drive of roughly an hour to downtown Houston depending on traffic, and connects to Freeport and the surrounding Brazoria County coast. Bluewater Highway runs the length of Follet's Island, linking the beach, jetty, and bayside. The nearby Port of Freeport is a major deepwater port and economic anchor for the region. For residents, the town's island location means most travel beyond the beach requires a short drive to Freeport, Lake Jackson, or the Houston metro.

Surfside Beach's recreation is anchored by about four miles of Gulf shoreline, where beachgoers swim, sunbathe, fish, and beachcomb. Surfside Jetty County Park, a 15-acre day-use beach park, offers paved parking with access to the beach, harbor channel, and jetty, plus a playground and restrooms, and is a center for fishing, birding, and shelling. The Surfside Bird and Butterfly Trail and the Surfside Historical Museum add natural and cultural stops, while offshore charters and bay guides serve anglers pursuing the Gulf's fish.