Lilburn's housing stock spans several decades of suburban growth. The Old Town district holds the city's earliest homes, with a mix of older houses and revitalized streets near the railroad corridor. Around it, established mid-century and late-20th-century single-family neighborhoods — many with ranch and split-level homes on generous lots — fill the city's roughly six square miles. The commercial strip along U.S. 29 and Lawrenceville Highway is ringed by residential subdivisions that grew as Lilburn became a northeastern Atlanta suburb. The city's mature trees, established streets, and relatively modest lot patterns give it a settled, affordable suburban character within Gwinnett County.

Lilburn's neighborhoods are anchored by Old Town, the historic district where the railroad defined the city's original layout. Here, restored buildings and walkable streets preserve Lilburn's late-19th-century character. Beyond Old Town, established residential subdivisions spread across the city, many clustered around Parkview High School and the Lawrenceville Highway corridor. The U.S. 29 commercial district forms a second center, where the city's newer businesses and services are concentrated. Gwinnett County's Bryson Park and Lions Club Park serve athletic and recreation needs in the surrounding area, tying the city's neighborhoods into the county's broader park system.

Lilburn's lifestyle blends small-town history with Atlanta-suburb convenience. Old Town Lilburn, the city's walkable railroad-era district, hosts shops, restaurants, and community events, giving residents a genuine downtown gathering place. Lilburn City Park, with its bandstand and pavilion, anchors outdoor concerts and gatherings, while the Camp Creek Greenway offers a wooded escape for walking and cycling. The community is notably diverse, reflecting Gwinnett County's broad population, and neighborhood life revolves around schools, parks, and houses of worship. Residents enjoy a direct commute into Atlanta for work and entertainment, while daily life stays grounded in a close-knit, family-oriented city.

Lilburn is served by Gwinnett County Public Schools, one of the largest and best-known school districts in Georgia, operating 31 high schools across the county. Within Lilburn, Parkview High School is the flagship campus, enrolling more than 3,000 students and offering Advanced Placement coursework, a full athletic program, and Project Lead The Way curriculum; it is consistently ranked among the state's stronger public high schools. A network of elementary and middle schools feeds into Parkview, and the district's size brings a wide range of academic and extracurricular options. The strong local school pipeline is a central reason families choose Lilburn.

Lilburn's location gives it one of the more direct commutes into Atlanta among Gwinnett County cities. U.S. Route 29, also known as Lawrenceville Highway, runs through the center of the city and leads southwest toward Tucker, Decatur, and downtown Atlanta, roughly 20 miles away. Gwinnett County Transit's express bus routes 101 and 103 connect Lilburn to downtown Atlanta for commuters, and MARTA's Doraville rail station sits nearby for regional transit access. For drivers, the city's position within the northeastern suburbs keeps major employment centers and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport within reach, while day-to-day trips center on the U.S. 29 corridor.

Lilburn packs substantial recreation into its six square miles. The 4.2-mile Camp Creek Greenway is the centerpiece, a paved multi-use trail running from Lilburn City Park through woodlands, with a 958-foot boardwalk section and frequent wildlife sightings. Lilburn City Park, a 10-acre space with a 160-seat pavilion and bandstand, hosts concerts and community events. Gwinnett County operates the Bryson Park and Lions Club athletic complexes nearby, adding sports fields and facilities. With nearly 150 acres of developed parkland, the city offers playgrounds, trails, and gathering spaces within walking distance of many neighborhoods, complemented by the county's larger park system and Stone Mountain's recreation a short drive away.