Housing in Hazlehurst is shaped by its small-town scale. The residential inventory mixes older single-family homes on the streets near the historic downtown and courthouse, mid-century brick ranch houses, and single-family homes on larger, wooded or agricultural lots along the county's rural roads. Renovated ranches steps from downtown and newer construction on acreage both appear in the local market. The surrounding Jeff Davis County countryside offers land and farm-style properties for buyers seeking more space, while the in-town core appeals to those wanting convenient access to schools, shops, and county offices. It is a low-density market oriented toward single-family homes rather than multifamily development.

Life in Hazlehurst centers on the slow rhythms of a South Georgia county seat. The city's identity is rooted in its agricultural past, particularly the tobacco market that once made it a hub of the "golden leaf" trade, and that heritage is preserved at the Hazlehurst–Jeff Davis Historical Museum. Community life gathers around churches, school events, and the courthouse square, while the highway corridors bring everyday shopping and dining. Local parks host gatherings and family recreation, and the surrounding countryside supports hunting, fishing, bird-watching, and wildlife viewing. It is a place where the pace is measured, neighborly familiarity is common, and the calendar is marked by school seasons and county events.

Public education in Hazlehurst is provided by the Jeff Davis County School District, which is based in the city and serves the county's students through a handful of campuses—about four schools serving roughly 3,000 students. The district operates the county's elementary, middle, and high school programs, and its high school is the county's principal secondary school. For higher education, residents travel to regional campuses in surrounding Southeast and Middle Georgia cities. The district is a central part of community life, with its athletic and fine-arts programs drawing broad local participation.

Hazlehurst sits at the junction of U.S. Highways 221 and 341. U.S. 341, the Golden Isles Highway, runs diagonally across southern Georgia from the Brunswick coast through Hazlehurst and on toward Perry and Barnesville, while U.S. 221 connects the town to points north and south. Together these corridors link Hazlehurst to Brunswick to the south, Savannah to the east, Augusta to the northeast, and Macon and Atlanta to the northwest. The nearest commercial air service is at regional airports in Brunswick, Savannah, and Macon. As a small county seat, day-to-day travel is by car, and the town's compact core is easily navigable on local streets.

Hazlehurst maintains three public parks—Mary Frazier McLean Community Park, Buddy Spann Park, and Weatherly Park—offering playgrounds and open space for residents. The Hazlehurst–Jeff Davis Historical Museum preserves the area's agricultural and railroad heritage. The surrounding countryside is known for outdoor pursuits, including bird-watching, camping, fishing, hunting, and wildlife viewing, with managed natural areas in the region. A short drive away, the Broxton Rocks nature preserve offers a rare landscape of sandstone outcrops and seasonal waterfalls for hiking and exploring.