Sumas's housing stock is modest and reflects its agricultural, small-town roots. The city features a mix of early twentieth-century homes, mid-century houses, and newer single-family construction, with some manufactured homes and rural properties on the outskirts. Lots tend to be larger than in urban areas, and many homes offer views of Mount Baker and the surrounding farmland. The community is small and close-knit, with limited new development. Buyers include farm families, border-area workers, and people seeking a quiet setting in the Nooksack Valley within reach of Bellingham and Abbotsford.

Sumas is a compact town centered on its Cherry Street and State Route 9 corridor, with residential streets laid out on a simple grid near the border. The downtown area clusters around local businesses and civic buildings, while the town's edges open onto the flat farmland of the Sumas Prairie and views of Mount Baker. The border crossing and its associated traffic anchor the north end of town. Neighboring Nooksack and Everson, a few miles south, share the valley's agricultural character and the Nooksack Valley School District.

Life in Sumas is small-town and farm-oriented, with a binational flavor shaped by the border. The community is quiet, with schools, churches, and local businesses forming its social core, and agriculture — especially dairy — setting the rhythm of the surrounding countryside. Residents enjoy easy trips across the border to Abbotsford for shopping and services, and into Bellingham for larger amenities. Mount Baker and the surrounding foothills provide a scenic backdrop and outdoor recreation. It is a place where people know their neighbors and the pace is unhurried.

Sumas is served by Nooksack Valley School District, which operates Sumas Elementary in town for kindergarten through fifth grade, along with elementary schools in Everson and Nooksack, Nooksack Valley Middle School, and Nooksack Valley High School. The district serves the rural communities of the Nooksack Valley, and its campuses offer views of Mount Baker. The small-district setting fosters close ties between schools and families. Higher education options are available in nearby Bellingham at Western Washington University and Whatcom Community College.

Sumas sits at the northern terminus of State Route 9, which runs south through the Nooksack Valley toward Bellingham. The city's defining transportation feature is the Sumas-Huntingdon border crossing, an around-the-clock port of entry connecting to Abbotsford, British Columbia, and the Trans-Canada Highway system beyond. This makes Sumas a significant freight and travel corridor between the United States and Canada's Fraser Valley. Bellingham, with its airport, ferries, and Amtrak service, lies about thirty miles west, and Vancouver, British Columbia, is within about an hour's drive across the border.

Recreation around Sumas is anchored by the outdoors and the North Cascades. Mount Baker rises prominently to the southeast, and the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest offers hiking, skiing at the Mount Baker Ski Area, and backcountry access. The Sumas Prairie's flat farm country supports cycling and rural walks, and the Nooksack River provides fishing. Across the border, Abbotsford's parks and the Fraser Valley's trails are close by, while Bellingham Bay and the San Juan Islands lie to the west. The town's setting between mountain and border gives residents varied outdoor options.