Fort Valley's housing stock reflects a century of growth around a railroad town and a university. The older core holds early-20th-century homes on shaded streets near the downtown and campus, while mid-century ranch and brick homes fill the surrounding neighborhoods. The presence of Fort Valley State University supports a steady rental market and a mix of faculty, staff, and student-adjacent housing, alongside the owner-occupied homes typical of a county seat. Newer construction is modest and scattered. Compared with Macon or metro Atlanta, housing in Fort Valley is generally more affordable, and larger lots and mature trees are common throughout the city.

Fort Valley's lifestyle blends the steady rhythms of a county seat with the energy of a university town. Campus events, homecoming, and FVSU athletics bring the community together, while the downtown and its shops and churches anchor more traditional small-town life. The surrounding orchard country shapes the calendar and the local foodways, and residents share a strong sense of regional identity as the heart of Georgia's peach country. Cost of living is modest, and the pace is unhurried, with Macon's larger cultural and retail offerings a short drive away for those who want them.

Public education in Fort Valley is provided by the Peach County School District, which operates elementary, middle, and high schools serving the city and county, including Peach County High School. The district anchors youth athletics and community life across the county. Above the K-12 level, Fort Valley State University provides four-year and graduate programs as a public historically Black university and 1890 land-grant institution, giving local students an accessible path to higher education and a steady source of campus employment and cultural activity.

Fort Valley sits along U.S. Highway 341, which connects the city south toward Perry and north toward the Macon area, with Interstate 75 a short distance to the east providing the region's primary highway link. Macon is roughly 25 miles north and Atlanta about 100 miles north, reachable in under two hours by interstate. For air travel, Middle Georgia Regional Airport serves the Macon area, while Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International is the major gateway. Within the city, the street grid around the downtown and campus is compact and easily navigated by car.

Recreation in Fort Valley centers on the university campus, which hosts collegiate athletics and community events, and on the surrounding orchard and farm country, where seasonal harvests and agricultural fairs mark the year. Peach County's position in central Georgia puts several state parks, lakes, and wildlife areas within an easy drive, offering fishing, hiking, and camping. The city's parks and the high school's athletic fields provide day-to-day recreation, while Macon's museums, music venues, and the Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park extend the cultural options a short distance to the north.