Since Yokneam's founding in 1950, it has grown into small city with an affordable, but very high quality of life and Israel's largest technology center outside of the Tel Aviv area. The city's overall strategy of protecting and nurturing green spaces has earned it the "Green City" award in 2009 and again in 2014. Yokneam boasts five major public parks and 80 playgrounds, and is surrounded by forests and Israel's largest biosphere.

Despite its rural surroundings, it has an active cultural life with two active local theaters with performers from all over Israel, a biweekly series of meetings with artists and performers held at the public library, summer performances held in an outdoor amphitheater, a children's museam of science and media, and even a local drama-therapy group that performs in Hebrew and Amharic. Just outside the city limits, the auditorium at Kibbutz Ein HaShofet regularly hosts dance companies.

Yokneam's preschools and kindergartens are considered among the best in the country, with free education from the age of three for over 20 years. Due to the special nature of Yokneam's relationship with the small communities of the Megiddo local council, there are many joint sports teams, cultural and educational activities available to Yokneam residents.