Bear is a census-designated place (CDP) in New Castle County, Delaware, United States. As of the 2020 census, Bear had a population of 23,060.
Originally a small crossroads in a rural area, approximately south of Wilmington, the area supported small farms growing mainly corn and cattle. In the late 1980s and 1990s Bear became a popular location for the construction of sprawling housing developments and shopping centers along U.S. Route 40. Much of Bear runs along the highway, and extends to approximately Delaware Route 896.
History
According to common legend, the name "Bear" originated from a tavern located along the roadway from Wilmington to Dover, Delaware (at the intersection now formed by U.S. Route 40 and Delaware Route 7), whose sign was decorated with the image of a large bear, and which George Washington had reportedly visited.
Bear's population was 50 in 1890, and was 59 in 1900.
In later years, Bear has had a history of being centered around shopping centers and neighborhoods located along U.S. Route 40.
White Hall was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.
Geography
Bear is located at (39.6292788, -75.6582628).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of , all land.
Bear is located approximately 14 miles south of Wilmington and about 44 miles from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Bear had a population of 23,060. The median age was 36.3 years. 23.3% of residents were under the age of 18 and 13.0% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 89.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 84.9 males age 18 and over.
100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.
There were 8,544 households in Bear, of which 33.4% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 42.8% were married-couple households, 16.9% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 32.6% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 24.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. Bear had a population of 19,371 people. The racial makeup of the CDP was 50.5% White, 34.5% African American, 0.3% Native American, 4.2% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 6.8% from other races, and 3.7% from two or more races. 14.2% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
2000 census
As of the census The largest demographic living in poverty were "Males from ages 6–11" and 13.2% of the population was below the poverty line which is lower than the national average of 15.5%.
Christina School District
May B. Leasure Elementary School of the Christina district is in Bear. Its namesake is Elizabeth May Brown Leasure (November 3, 1898 - November 8, 1982), a teacher. It was established as Eden School in 1879. It was started as a 1-8 school but became a 1-6 school as Newark High School began taking grades 7–8. A November 11, 1934, fire gutted the facility, so all of the school's classes temporarily moved to Lodge Hall; the school was already renting space there in 1934 for overflow classes. A new permanent facility opened in 1935. The school received its current name in 1970, and the current facility opened in 1998.
William A. Oberle Jr. Elementary School, also of the Christina district, is in Bear. The school, then Porter Road Elementary School, opened in 2009, and it changed to its current name in 2011. Its namesake was a member of the Delaware House of Representatives.
The Christina district part of Bear is zoned to as follows: Leasure, Oberle, and Keene elementary schools serve sections for grades K-5. It is divided between the zones of Gauger/Cobbs Middle School and Kirk Middle School. It is divided between the zones of Glasgow High School and Christiana High School.
In earlier periods, in addition to Leasure, elementary schools serving Bear included Keene, Marshall, and McVey. Grades 5-6 were assigned to schools in Wilmington, including Bancroft Intermediate School. Previously Shue/Medill Middle School served sections of Bear.
Other education
The Colonial district operates William Penn High School.
The most prominent private schools located in Bear include: Caravel Academy, Red Lion Christian Academy, and Fairwinds Christian School. In 2010, 18.8% of students in New Castle County attended private schools.
No major universities are based in Bear, but Wilmington University's primary sports complex is located along U.S. Route 40.
New Castle County Library operates the Bear Library.
Economy
In Bear, the most common industries are (1) healthcare and social assistance, (2) finance and insurance, and (3) retail trade. The highest paid jobs are in (1) utilities, (2) transportation and warehousing, and (3) professional, scientific, and technical services.
DART First State provides bus service to Bear along Route 40, which runs between downtown Wilmington and Glasgow via the US 40 corridor; Route 54, which runs between Churchmans Crossing station and the Walmart on Wilton Boulevard via Bear; and Route 64, which runs between the Christiana Mall and Glasgow via Bear.
The Norfolk Southern Railway operates freight trains through Bear along the Delmarva Secondary line heading southeast from Newark and the New Castle Secondary line heading southwest from Wilmington; both lines meet to the south in Porter at a junction with the Delmarva Central Railroad. Along the Delmarva Secondary in Bear are Norfolk Southern's Del Pro Yard and Amtrak's Bear Maintenance Facility.
Automobiles are the most heavily used mode of transportation. The largest share of households has two cars, followed by three cars.
- Barry Croft Jr., convicted co-leader of the 2020 plot to kidnap Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer; resident of Bear
- Angelo Blackson, American football defensive tackle for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL); former Bear resident
- Ami Parekh, Indian-American figure skater who represented India in international competitions and was an eight-time Indian ladies' champion; resident of Bear