Where Bear is
Bear is a census-designated place in New Castle County, Delaware, about 14 miles south of Wilmington. It covers about 5.8 square miles and had 23,060 residents at the 2020 census.
History
According to common legend, Bear is named for a tavern on the road between Wilmington and Dover that displayed a bear on its sign. Bear was a rural crossroads with small farms until the late 1980s and 1990s, when housing developments and shopping centers grew along U.S. Route 40. White Hall was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.
Getting around
U.S. Route 40 runs east-west through Bear and Delaware Route 7 runs north-south. Delaware Route 1 passes through, with an interchange at U.S. 40. DART First State provides bus service on Routes 40, 54 and 64.
The housing market
In Q4 2025, the most recent period in the closed-sale data Foraker uses, the median sale price in Bear was $390,000 and the average sale price was $431,333, across 21 closed sales. These figures come from Bright MLS closed-sale data. They describe homes that sold in that period, not homes for sale today.
Schools
Bear is served by the Christina School District and the Colonial School District. Buyers can look up the districts and their schools directly before choosing a home.
Talk to us about buying or selling in Bear
If you are thinking about buying or selling here, the Foraker team would be glad to talk it through. You can browse Foraker's current listings at forakerrealty.com.
Sources
This guide is compiled from the public sources below and from Foraker's market data. Details such as events and routes change, so check before you go.