Kennard's housing stock is small and rural, made up mostly of single-family homes on large lots surrounded by pine and hardwood forest. The community has no large subdivisions, and development is limited by the surrounding national forest land. Homes range from older frame houses to newer construction and scattered manufactured homes on acreage. The setting is low-density and owner-occupied, appealing to buyers who want forest privacy, room for outdoor hobbies, and a quiet East Texas pace.

Life in Kennard is defined by the forest. Hunting, fishing, hiking, and camping in the Davy Crockett National Forest are woven into the community's routine, and Ratcliff Lake is a favorite local gathering spot. The pace is slow, and the population small, with most residents owning their homes. Daily errands run through nearby Crockett, while the school and local churches anchor community life. It is a genuinely outdoors-oriented, small-town way of living.

Kennard Independent School District serves the city and surrounding area with a single K–12 campus on State Highway 7, enrolling about 270 students. The one-school district keeps students close to home and makes the school the center of community life. Like many small East Texas districts, sports and school events draw the whole town. The compact scale means teachers and families know one another, and students complete their entire public education without leaving the community.

State Highway 7 is Kennard's main road, running west to Crockett, the Houston County seat, and east toward Nacogdoches County and the Louisiana line. The city lies within easy driving distance of Lufkin and the larger East Texas highway network. There is no transit service, so travel is by car, and most residents drive to Crockett for shopping, medical care, and services. Forest Service roads and farm-to-market routes serve the surrounding woodland.

The Davy Crockett National Forest is Kennard's recreation centerpiece, offering more than 160,000 acres of hiking, hunting, camping, and fishing. Ratcliff Lake, a 45-acre lake within the forest, provides developed camping, a swimming area, and fishing. The Neches River borders the forest to the northeast for paddling and bank fishing. Trails wind through the pine and hardwood stands, and the forest's recreation areas make Kennard a basecamp for East Texas outdoor recreation.