Rolling Hills is defined by estate-scale, low-density residential lots. The prevailing architecture is single-story California ranch and Spanish hacienda, a style closely associated with architect Wallace Neff, with homes set on large parcels behind the city's gates. Because the community is small, fully built out, and zoned almost exclusively for residential and open space, housing supply is inherently limited. New construction is rare, and most of the stock consists of established estate homes and equestrian properties, many with stables, arenas, and direct access to bridle trails.

Rolling Hills functions as a single gated enclave rather than a set of named neighborhoods. Private roads wind across the peninsula's hills, opening onto estate parcels with distant ocean and canyon views. The community's three gates — and the private road network behind them — give it a cohesive, self-contained feel with no through traffic. Its homes are spaced across large lots, often with horse facilities, and the absence of a commercial core means the neighborhood is the entire city, bound together by shared trails and the community association.

Life in Rolling Hills is private, rural, and deliberately slow-paced. With no commercial district inside the gates, daily errands happen in Rolling Hills Estates, Torrance, and the surrounding peninsula towns, while the city itself remains quiet and residential. The equestrian lifestyle is central: many residents keep horses, and bridle trails run throughout the hills. The community association organizes activities and maintains the private roads and open space. It is a lifestyle oriented toward space, seclusion, and outdoor living, anchored by one of Southern California's most distinctive rural-urban communities.

Rolling Hills is served by the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District, which operates the public schools for the entire peninsula. Students feed into schools that include Palos Verdes Peninsula High School in neighboring Rolling Hills Estates, consistently ranked among the top high schools in California. The district is a significant draw for families moving to the peninsula, offering strong academics across its elementary, intermediate, and high schools. Private school options are also available in the broader South Bay.

Rolling Hills is reached by car through its three gates, which open onto the peninsula's main roadways, including Palos Verdes Drive. The private, winding roads inside the community carry no through traffic, so nearly all trips begin and end by car. Beyond the gates, Palos Verdes Drive and the arterials through Torrance connect to the Harbor (110) and San Diego (405) freeways, placing Los Angeles International Airport and the broader Los Angeles basin within a manageable drive. There is no commercial or transit infrastructure inside the city itself.

Recreation in Rolling Hills centers on the equestrian life. Residents ride on bridle trails that wind through the city and connect to the wider trail network of the Palos Verdes Peninsula, and many properties include stables and arenas. Beyond the gates, the peninsula offers coastal preserves, ocean-view hiking, and golf at nearby clubs, while the beaches of the South Bay and the Palos Verdes coastline are a short drive away. The community's own open space and hillside setting provide much of the day-to-day outdoor experience.