Birch Bay's housing spans the range of a classic seaside resort community. Along and near the shore sit beachfront homes, vacation cottages, and condominiums, many used seasonally, while inland areas include established single-family neighborhoods and leisure-park communities built around recreation. The mix of vacation and year-round use gives the community a distinct character: summer brings a seasonal population, while the year-round core remains modest in scale. Buyers are generally drawn by beach access, water views, and the ability to own property near the shore without the density of a larger city.

Birch Bay is laid out along the curve of the bay rather than around a downtown. The shoreline itself is the main organizing feature, with beachfront properties, the state park, and community gathering spots strung along the water. Inland, residential areas and leisure communities extend back from the shore, including established areas such as Birch Bay Village. Nearby Semiahmoo, on the spit near Blaine, adds a golf-and-resort presence to the area. Because the community is unincorporated, neighborhood character is shaped by the county and by the individual developments along the bay.

Life in Birch Bay is built around the beach and the seasons. Summers bring visitors, beach walks, clamming, kayaking, and the waterslides park, while winters are quiet and moody along the shore. The community is family-oriented and unpretentious, with a longstanding tradition as a vacation destination that many families return to year after year. Everyday services come from nearby Blaine and Bellingham, but the bay itself — its tides, sunsets, and shoreline — sets the pace. It is a coastal lifestyle focused on simple outdoor pleasures.

Birch Bay is served by the Blaine School District, based in the city of Blaine a few miles north. The district covers Blaine, Birch Bay, and the geographically separate community of Point Roberts, providing pre-kindergarten through twelfth-grade education from its campuses in Blaine. Families living in Birch Bay send students to the district's schools, and the district plays a central role in the community's civic life. For families weighing a move, the district's small-town scale and coastal setting are defining features.

Birch Bay is reached primarily from Interstate 5, the region's main north-south corridor, with connections through Blaine and Ferndale. Bellingham lies roughly fifteen miles south, and the Canadian border at Blaine is just a few miles north, putting Vancouver, British Columbia, within about a half-hour's drive. Within the community, travel is by car, and the bay's main shoreline road ties the beachfront areas together. Ferries and rail service in Bellingham connect the area to the broader Puget Sound region.

Recreation in Birch Bay begins with the beach. Birch Bay State Park offers more than 8,000 feet of saltwater shoreline plus frontage on Terrell Creek, with clamming, beachcombing, and camping among its draws. The bay's calm waters suit kayaking and paddleboarding, and a seasonal waterslides park adds family fun. Nearby Semiahmoo and the waters of the Salish Sea offer boating and fishing, while Blaine and Bellingham provide additional parks, trails, and marina access. The Cascade Mountains rise to the east, framing the setting.