Ferndale is a medium-sized coastal city (i.e. on the ocean, a bay, or inlet) located in the state of Washington. With a population of 15,840 people and six associated neighborhoods, Ferndale is the 72nd largest community in Washington.

Housing costs in Ferndale are among some of the highest in the nation, although real estate prices here don't compare to real estate prices in the most expensive communities in Washington.

A relatively large number of people in Ferndale telecommute to their jobs. Overall, about 9.76% of the workforce works from home. While this may seem like a small number, as a fraction of the total workforce it ranks among the highest in the country. These workers are often telecommuters who work in knowledge-based, white-collar professions. For example, Silicon Valley has large numbers of people who telecommute. Other at-home workers may be self-employed people who operate small businesses out of their homes.

Ferndale is also nautical, which means that parts of it are somewhat historic and touch the ocean or tidal bodies of water, such as inlets and bays. Quite often, nautical areas such as these attract visitors and locals who come to enjoy the scenery and various waterfront activities.

The overall education level of Ferndale citizens is substantially higher than the typical US community, as 33.22% of adults in Ferndale have at least a bachelor's degree, and the average American community has 21.84%.

The per capita income in Ferndale in 2018 was $33,508, which is lower middle income relative to Washington, and middle income relative to the rest of the US. This equates to an annual income of $134,032 for a family of four. However, Ferndale contains both very wealthy and poor people as well.

Ferndale is a very ethnically-diverse city. The people who call Ferndale home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Ferndale residents report their race to be White, followed by Asian. Ferndale also has a sizeable Hispanic population (people of Hispanic origin can be of any race). People of Hispanic or Latino origin account for 13.27% of the city’s residents. Important ancestries of people in Ferndale include German, English, Irish, Russian, and European.

The most common language spoken in Ferndale is English. Other important languages spoken here include Spanish and Langs. of India.