Bear, Delaware Population, Hospitals, Airports, and Schools

Bear, Delaware is a small and quaint town located in New Castle County. It is a suburb of Wilmington, Delaware, and is located just off of Interstate 95. The population of Bear is about 19,500 people.

The area of Bear was first settled by the Dutch in 1658 and was known as “Bear’s Neck” at that time. It was later incorporated into the town of White Clay Creek Hundred in 1704. The town was named after an old English word meaning “bear” or “wild animal” because the area was home to many bears at that time.

Bear is home to many businesses including banks, restaurants, auto repair shops, gas stations, grocery stores and more. There are also several parks located within the town limits which provide plenty of outdoor activities for residents to enjoy year round.

The town has its own school district consisting of four elementary schools (Josiah Marvel Elementary School, John G. Leach Elementary School, Thomas McKean Elementary School and William Penn Elementary School), two middle schools (John Dickinson Middle School and Christiana Middle School) and one high school (William Penn High School). All of these schools are highly rated based on student performance according to GreatSchools ratings.

Residents in Bear have access to several public transportation options such as DART First State buses and Amtrak trains which provide service to Philadelphia and other nearby cities. Additionally, there are several major highways close by such as Interstate 95 which provides easy access to other parts of Delaware as well as nearby states like Pennsylvania and Maryland.

There are numerous recreational activities for residents in Bear to enjoy including golf courses, tennis courts, playgrounds and parks with walking trails for biking or jogging enthusiasts alike. Additionally there are plenty of shopping opportunities available with major retail stores such as Target or Walmart located nearby as well as boutique shops located throughout the town center area near downtown Bear itself.

Overall Bear is a great place for families looking for a quiet suburban lifestyle while still having access to all the amenities offered by larger cities like Wilmington or Philadelphia nearby. With its strong sense of community spirit combined with its convenient location near major highways makes it an ideal place for people looking for a safe place to live while still being close enough to all that the region has to offer.

Population: 17,593
Males: 8,581 (48.8%), Females: 9,012 (51.2%)

New Castle County

Zip code: 19701

Demographics

Median resident age: 30.4 years
Median household income: $53,240
Median house value: $128,700

Population by Race

Races in Bear:

• White Non-Hispanic (64.4%)
• Black (26.8%)
• Hispanic (5.5%)
• Two or more races (2.2%)
• Other race (1.8%)
• American Indian (0.6%)
• Filipino (0.5%)

(Total can be greater than 100% because Hispanics could be counted in other races)

Ancestries: Irish (17.9%), German (14.1%), Italian (10.2%), English (7.1%), Polish (4.6%), United States (4.2%).

Elevation: 71 feet

Land area: 5.7 square miles

Population by Education

For population 25 years and over in Bear

• High school or higher: 85.6%
• Bachelor’s degree or higher: 18.3%
• Graduate or professional degree: 5.1%
• Unemployed: 5.2%
• Mean travel time to work: 26.3 minutes

For population 15 years and over in Bear CDP

• Never married: 29.1%
• Now married: 52.8%
• Separated: 2.7%
• Widowed: 3.1%
• Divorced: 12.2%

4.3% Foreign born (1.8% Latin America, 1.3% Asia, 0.6% Europe, 0.5% Africa).

Hospitals

Hospitals/medical centers near Bear:

• ROCKFORD CENTER (about 8 miles; NEWARK, DE)
• DELAWARE PSYCHIATRIC CENTER (about 8 miles; NEW CASTLE, DE)
• MEADOWWOOD BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SYSTEM (about 8 miles; NEW CASTLE, DE)

Airports

Airports certified for carrier operations nearest to Bear:

• NEW CASTLE COUNTY (about 7 miles; WILMINGTON, DE; Abbreviation: ILG)
• PHILADELPHIA INTL (about 36 miles; PHILADELPHIA, PA; Abbreviation: PHL)
• DOVER AFB (about 39 miles; DOVER, DE; Abbreviation: DOV)

Other public-use airports nearest to Bear:

• SUMMIT (about 8 miles; MIDDLETOWN, DE; Abbreviation: EVY)
• RAINTREE (about 11 miles; ELKTON, MD; Abbreviation: 1C4)
• CECIL COUNTY (about 14 miles; ELKTON, MD; Abbreviation: 58M)

Amtrak stations near Bear:

• 6 miles: NEWARK (429 S. COLLEGE AVE.). Services: public payphones, free short-term parking, call for car rental service, call for taxi service, public transit connection.
• 13 miles: WILMINGTON (M. L. KING BLVD, & FRENCH ST.). Services: ticket office, partially wheelchair accessible, enclosed waiting area, public restrooms, public payphones, snack bar, ATM, paid short-term parking, paid long-term parking, car rental agency, taxi stand, intercity bus service, public transit connection.

Colleges and Universities

Colleges/universities with over 2000 students nearest to Bear:

• DELAWARE TECHNICAL & COMM COLL-STANTON-WILMINGTON (about 3 miles; NEWARK, DE; Full-time enrollment: 3,817)
• UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE (about 8 miles; NEWARK, DE; Full-time enrollment: 17,786)
• WILMINGTON COLLEGE (about 8 miles; NEW CASTLE, DE; Full-time enrollment: 3,087)
• WEST CHESTER UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA (about 24 miles; WEST CHESTER, PA; Full-time enrollment: 10,419)
• WIDENER UNIVERSITY-MAIN CAMPUS (about 27 miles; CHESTER, PA; Full-time enrollment: 3,646)
• DELAWARE COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE (about 29 miles; MEDIA, PA; Full-time enrollment: 5,248)
• IMMACULATA COLLEGE (about 30 miles; IMMACULATA, PA; Full-time enrollment: 2,042)

Private high schools in Bear:

• CARAVEL ACADEMY (Students: 1,034; Location: 2801 DEL LAWS ROAD; Grades: PK – 12)
• FAIRWINDS CHRISTIAN SCHOOL (Students: 287; Location: 801 SEYMOUR RD.; Grades: PK – 12)

Public primary/middle school in Bear:

• OLIVE B. LOSS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL (Students: 569; Location: 200 BRENNAN BOULEVARD; Grades: 01 – 05)

Private primary/middle schools in Bear:

• RED LION CHRISTIAN ACADEMY (Students: 605; Location: 1400 RED LION RD; Grades: PK – 10)
• ADVO SERV (Students: 72; Location: 4185 KIRKWOOD SAINT GEORGES RD; Grades: UG – UG)
• ADVOSERV PROGRAMS (Students: 55; Location: 4185 CUKIRKWOOD- ST GEORGE’S RD; Grades: UG – UG)

Libraries

Library in Bear:

• BEAR PUBLIC LIBRARY (Operating income: $893,954; Location: 101 GOVERNOR’S PLACE; 78,128 books; 6,720 audio materials; 5,319 video materials; 226 serial subscriptions)