Anderson's housing stock is small and historic in character. The town consists of a modest collection of older homes, some dating to the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, clustered around the courthouse square and along a few residential streets. There is little large-scale development, and the surrounding countryside is made up of farms, ranches, and acreage. As a tiny county seat, Anderson offers very limited housing inventory; most people who work in the town live in nearby Navasota, Plantersville, or on rural Grimes County acreage.

Anderson is essentially a single compact village organized around the Grimes County Courthouse and its square. Government buildings, the post office, churches, and historic homes stand within a few blocks of the center, and the town quickly gives way to pasture, woods, and county roads. There are no large subdivisions; instead, the community is a small courthouse-town core surrounded by the rural settlements and acreage homesteads of central Grimes County. Nearby Navasota functions as the area's commercial and residential center.

Life in Anderson is quiet and centered on county government, local schools, and community events. The town's identity is tied to its courthouse and its history, and residents take pride in the restored landmark at its center. Day-to-day shopping, dining, and healthcare are found a short drive away in Navasota, while College Station and Bryan provide universities, cultural events, and larger services. The pace is slow and neighborly, and the surrounding countryside offers open space, farms, and the character of rural Central Texas.

Anderson-Shiro Consolidated Independent School District serves Anderson and the surrounding communities, including the Shiro area, with roughly 980 students in grades PK-12. The district operates elementary, junior high, and high school campuses, with a recent elementary school project reflecting steady growth in the area. The small district fosters close ties between families, teachers, and the community, and school activities are central to local life. For higher education, students are within commuting distance of Texas A&M University in College Station and Blinn College in Brenham.

Anderson sits at the junction of State Highway 90 and Farm Roads 149 and 1774, about ten miles northeast of Navasota. State Highway 90 connects the town to Navasota and, beyond, to the College Station-Bryan area and the Houston region, while the farm-to-market roads tie Anderson to the surrounding Grimes County countryside. The town's central location places it within commuting distance of Texas A&M University and the Bryan-College Station employment base. Most travel is by car, and the nearest commercial air service is at Easterwood Airport in College Station or George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston.

Recreation around Anderson draws on the town's history and the surrounding Central Texas landscape. The restored Grimes County Courthouse is the community's centerpiece and a point of heritage interest, while Navasota, ten miles southwest, offers a historic downtown, blues heritage, and community events. The Sam Houston National Forest lies to the east, providing hiking, camping, and outdoor recreation, and Lake Conroe is within a regional drive. The Brazos Valley's cultural and collegiate offerings in College Station and Bryan round out the area's attractions.