Scene, 1907
Sumas’s story
129 years in pictures
Census counts: 319 in 1900, a low of 319 in 1900, 1,583 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 1907.
- 1897Sumas is settled
SumasWA
A town of 1,672, settled in 1897. 66% more nonprofits per person than the typical Washington town.
Trash & recyclingPhoto: Drums600 at English Wikipedia · Public domain
Population
1,672
2025 Census estimate · +5.4% since 2020
Typical home
$488K
+4.8% in a year
Household income
$89K
median
Median age
31.7
years
Jobs based here
563
A commuter town
Is Sumas a good place to live?
Sumas’ best subject grades are an A− for health and an A for civic life; its weakest is a D for hazard risk. 33% of residents are under 18 in Sumas, where Washington’s towns sit at 22% and U.S. towns at 22%. Only 37 of Washington’s 396 towns score lower on walkability. The typical home is worth about $488K, 6 years of the Bellingham metro’s $82K median household income. Sumas has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Sumas stand out
Where Sumas beats most towns.
A growing town
Sumas has grown 28% since 2010
1,307 counted in 2010 and 1,583 in 2020; an estimated 1,672 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Sumas grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Washington), ordered by how far Sumas is from typical.
Hazard riskavalanches tops the listDOpen →Cost of livingDOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 5.8 of 20; 4.6% of households have no car; 0.3% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC−Open →HealthPeacehealth United General Medical Center 34.6 miles awayA−Open →Jobs & income$89K median household incomeC+Open →SchoolsBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsConserved land, trails and parksCOpen →History4 notable people born hereCOpen →Civic life6.6 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsAOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 31.7; 13% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Sumas: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Sumas, and how to reach them.
PowerCity of SumasEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterSumas Water DeptNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNooksack Valley DisposalTrash haulerTown site
Register to voteOnlineIn Washington you can register online until 8 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (received 8 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereWhatcom County AuditorWhatcom County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Oct 2016
ZIP code9829598295 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Sumas.
HealthA−
Sumas ranks healthier than 80% of the country’s towns
Sumas beats the Washington average on 6 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 8. 67% of Sumas adults had a checkup this year, below both Washington’s towns (71%) and U.S. towns (79%). 20% of adults binge drink in Sumas.
80%healthier than U.S. townsA−Health Grade
| Sumas | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 67% | 71% | 79% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 17% | 16% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 26% | 23% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 31% | 35% |
31 measures vs. Washington
6 better17 too close to call8 worse
| What stands out | Sumas | WA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with diabetes | 7.4% | 9.5% |
| Fewer adults with high blood pressure | 24.9% | 30.5% |
| More binge drinkers | 20.2% | 16.6% |
Peacehealth United General Medical Center
34.6 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SchoolsB
Sumas’ public schools outperform 56% of Washington districts
Its public schools are run by the Nooksack Valley School District. Its one school is below.
56%of WA districts it outscoresBSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sumas ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 295 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WA on state tests and graduation
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
Very high risk in Sumas, with avalanches at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 81% of U.S. communities. Since 1982, 303 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Sumas.
81risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
AvalanchesEarthquakesInland flooding
303
paid flood claims since 1982
6
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C+
Most of Sumas’ workers commute out: the town has 0.7 jobs for each of them
Most working residents leave Sumas for work: only 5% work in town. Since 2013, Sumas has added 93 jobs, to 563 in 2023. Sumas’ average trip to work is 29 minutes.
5%work in town
| Sumas | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 29 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $89,000 | $98,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 4.6% | 4.9% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Sumas5%
Bellingham18%
Lynden16%
Ferndale6%
Seattle4%
17 mi
median commute distance
563
jobs based in Sumas
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 18% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
In Sumas, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
Sumas has mild winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Sumas is 76°F.
11″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter34–45°
Spring42–59°
Summer53–74°
Fall44–60°
Oct 18
typical first frost
Apr 18
typical last frost
+1.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HousingCost of living grade D
Sumas earns a D for cost of living
Typical home values rose 4.8% in the year to September 2026.
$488KZillow home value
| Sumas | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,585 a month | $1,739 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 67% | 71% | 73% |
Typical home value
Sumas$488K
Washington$588K
+4.8%
value change, 1 year
3
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Safety
Violent crime in Sumas is lower than in the typical Washington or U.S. town
Only 2 of the 138 Washington towns we compare have a lower violent crime rate than Sumas. Sumas's reported crime rate is well below Washington's. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts.
| Sumas | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 1.9 | 1.7 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 7.7 per 1,000 residents | 19.3 | 11.5 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Sumas0
Washington3.3
U.S.3.6
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Sumas7.7
Washington25.2
U.S.17.7
0
violent crimes reported in 2024
13
property crimes reported in 2024
FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to police
Nearby attractions
All 17 attractions →Mount Baker and 10 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Sumas. Close and well known come first.
Big draw26 mi MountainMount Baker
31 mi National ParkNorth Cascades National Park47K visitors a year
22 mi LandmarkPeace Arch29 mi Ski areaMt Baker47 runs · 1,475 ft vertical
19 mi TheatreMount Baker Theatre
19 mi MuseumWhatcom Museum of History and ArtSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Mount Baker: Walter Siegmund (talk), CC BY 2.5 · North Cascades National Park: Daniel Hershman, CC BY 2.0 · Peace Arch: Arnold C (User:Buchanan-Hermit), Attribution · Mount Baker Theatre: Benjamin Cody, Public domain · Whatcom Museum of History and Art: Benjamin Cody, Public domain
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Sumas
19pages on Sumas
The big questions
SchoolsBBeat 56% of WA districts · 1 schoolSafety0 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2024)HealthA−Better than WA on 6 of 31 CDC measuresCost of livingD$488K typical home · up 4.8% in a yearWork & commuteC+$89K median household income · 563 jobs hereNatural hazardsDFEMA risk higher than 81% of U.S. communities · avalanches
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Sumas; the nearest are
Whatcom Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Bellingham17.3 mi$5,115 in-state tuitionWestern Washington UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Bellingham20.4 mi$9,582 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Sumas residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Washington.
A commuter town
95% of working residents leave Sumas for work
Where Sumas’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
563jobs based in Sumas
5%of working residents work in town
17 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Famous people from Sumas
4 notable people were born in Sumas.
About Sumas
City in Washington, United States
Sumas (SOO-mas) is a city in Whatcom County, Washington, United States. It had a population of 1,583 as of the 2020 census. Sumas is located adjacent to the Canada–U.S. border and borders the city of Abbotsford, British Columbia. The Sumas–Huntingdon port of entry at the north end of State Route 9 operates 24 hours a day. Sumas shares Nooksack Valley School District with the cities of Nooksack and Everson. It is the northernmost settlement on Washington State Route 9.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.5 sq mi
- Elevation
- 43 ft
- ZIP code
- 98295
- Area code
- 360
Questions about Sumas
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Sumas, WA a good place to live?
66% more nonprofits per person than the typical Washington town.
Is Sumas, WA expensive?
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.
What is Sumas, WA known for?
4 notable people were born here, including Gale Bishop and Joe Cipriano.