Knowlton Township's housing stock is rural and low-density. Properties include working and former farms, older farmhouses and country homes, and single-family houses on larger lots, with a smaller share of modest in-hamlet homes around Columbia and Delaware. Development is sparse compared with New Jersey's eastern counties, and most residents own their homes. The township's zoning and agricultural landscape preserve a sense of open space, making Knowlton a place for buyers seeking acreage, river or stream frontage, and rural privacy rather than suburban density.

Life in Knowlton Township is quiet, rural, and rooted in the land. Farming, gardening, and outdoor pursuits shape the rhythm of daily life, with the Delaware River and Paulins Kill providing fishing and riverside recreation. The township's hamlets—Columbia and Delaware foremost—keep services close without creating a dense center, and most residents live on larger lots with a strong sense of privacy. Community life revolves around the school, local farms, and seasonal events. It is a genuinely country way of life in one of New Jersey's least-developed corners, within commuting reach of Hackettstown and points east.

Knowlton Township's public schools are divided across two systems. The Knowlton Township School District serves students in pre-kindergarten through sixth grade at its school on Route 46 in the Delaware section. For grades seven through twelve, students attend North Warren Regional High School in Blairstown, a regional secondary school serving Knowlton along with Frelinghuysen, Blairstown, and Hardwick. This structure keeps elementary education local to the township while providing a consolidated regional high school for the surrounding rural communities.

Interstate 80 runs directly through Knowlton Township, providing the principal highway link west to the Delaware Water Gap and Pennsylvania and east toward Hackettstown, Morristown, and the New York City area. Route 46 parallels the interstate through the township, and Route 94 connects Columbia north toward Blairstown. This highway access makes Knowlton more convenient than many rural Warren County towns, even as its local roads remain quiet country routes. Commuters rely primarily on Interstate 80 for travel to employment centers to the east.

Recreation in Knowlton Township centers on its waterways and open land. The Delaware River offers fishing, paddling, and riverside access along the township's western edge, while the Paulins Kill provides a quieter stream for fishing and exploration. The Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area lies a short distance upriver, adding hiking, scenic overlooks, and river recreation. Hunting is part of the rural culture of this corner of Warren County, and the township's network of farm roads and fields supports cycling and country walking. For residents, outdoor recreation is woven into everyday rural life.