Census-designated place · Delaware
Bear, Delaware
Bear, census-designated place, in New Castle County, Delaware. Bear had 22,370 people in the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (±1,698). GEOID 1004130.
Residents, 2020-2024
22,370
±1,698 (90% margin)
2020 Census count: 23,060
Median household income
$91,687
±$6,365 (90% margin)
Delaware: $84,954
Median home value
$304,800
±$31,823 (90% margin)
Delaware: $352,000
Median gross rent
$1,771
±$73 (90% margin)
Delaware: $1,401
Where is Bear and what county is it in?
Bear is a census-designated place: an unincorporated community the Census Bureau draws for counting, with no city government of its own, in New Castle County, Delaware. It covers 5.8 square miles of land, 3,987 residents per square mile in 2020.
Bear is in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 11 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Bear, and is it growing?
The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts Bear's population at 22,370 (±1,698). The 2020 Census counted 23,060 residents.
The Census Bureau publishes yearly population estimates for incorporated places only; Bear is a census-designated place, so its figures come from the ACS and the 2020 Census.
| Measure | Bear | New Castle County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 22,370 ±1,698 | 577,961 | no clear change |
| Households | 8,746 ±630 | 224,173 | +1,401 |
| Average household size | 2.56 ±0.16 | 2.51 | −0.28 |
| Housing units | 9,094 ±625 | 236,079 | +959 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Bear?
The median resident of Bear is 37.9 years old; 22.9% are under 18 and 14.9% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic Black residents at 37.7%, then non-Hispanic white residents at 29.2%. 22.9% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Bear | New Castle County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 37.9 ±2.4 | 39.3 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 22.9% ±2.8 pts | 21.2% | – |
| 65 years and over | 14.9% ±2.2 pts | 17.1% | – |
| Male | 47.1% ±3.0 pts | 48.5% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 21.2% ±4.6 pts | 11.8% | no clear change |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 29.2% ±4.3 pts | 52.3% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 37.7% ±5.0 pts | 24.9% | no clear change |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 8.3% ±4.1 pts | 6.2% | no clear change |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.1 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.2 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 3.1% ±1.6 pts | 4.2% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.5% ±0.5 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 22.9% ±3.8 pts | 12.8% | +5.5 pts |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 28.5% ±5.1 pts | 17.3% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 6.3% ±1.6 pts | 5.8% | – |
| With a disability | 11.5% ±2.7 pts | 12.9% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 10.4% ±2.8 pts | 5.9% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 88.2% ±3.4 pts | 92.6% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 32.5% ±4.7 pts | 39.7% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 13.6% ±2.9 pts | 17.2% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 92.1% ±2.8 pts | 88.9% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 2.8% ±1.5 pts | 3.8% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Bear earn?
Half of Bear's 8,746 households earn less than $91,687 a year (±$6,365), against $91,166 in New Castle County and $84,954 in Delaware. In 2015-2019 it was $88,846 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 8.7% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Bear | New Castle County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $91,687 ±$6,365 | $91,166 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $104,972 ±$9,079 | $120,512 | – |
| Per capita income | $41,884 ±$3,219 | $47,777 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 8.7% ±3.1 pts | 10.1% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 9.2% ±6.2 pts | 13.7% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 10.8% ±3.5 pts | 9.8% | – |
| Households with a computer | 98.5% ±1.5 pts | 96.8% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 93.5% ±3.1 pts | 93.2% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Bear?
Owners occupy 65.1% of Bear's occupied homes and renters 34.9%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $304,800 by its owner (±$31,823). The median renter pays $1,771 a month including utilities, and 38.4% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Bear | New Castle County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $304,800 ±$31,823 | $352,200 | +$46,723 |
| Median gross rent | $1,771 ±$73 | $1,448 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 38.4% ±8.7 pts | 38.9% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,822 ±$94 | $1,882 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 65.1% ±5.2 pts | 69.0% | +7.2 pts |
| Renter-occupied homes | 34.9% ±5.2 pts | 31.0% | – |
| Housing units | 9,094 ±625 | 236,079 | +959 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±0.7 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 7.9% ±6.1 pts | 5.0% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 32.1% ±5.2 pts | 53.0% | – |
| Mobile homes | 18.8% ±4.7 pts | 2.0% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.5% ±0.6 pts | 1.3% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 21.3% ±4.4 pts | 7.5% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 0.7% ±0.7 pts | 10.8% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 8.7% ±3.5 pts | 7.5% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in Bear work and get to work?
70.6% of Bear's workers drive alone and 15.1% work from home. The average trip to work takes 24.1 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 5.9%.
| Measure | Bear | New Castle County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 73.1% ±4.2 pts | 65.7% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 5.9% ±2.6 pts | 4.8% | no clear change |
| Drove alone to work | 70.6% ±5.0 pts | 68.6% | – |
| Carpooled | 11.8% ±3.7 pts | 7.3% | – |
| Public transportation | 1.1% ±1.0 pts | 2.6% | – |
| Walked | 0.4% ±0.6 pts | 2.2% | – |
| Worked from home | 15.1% ±4.1 pts | 17.6% | +12.1 pts |
| Mean travel time to work | 24.1 min ±1.5 | 25.3 min | −4.4 min |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Bear?
3 census tracts lie mostly in Bear, and 2 more reach into it (2020 census blocks). Their median household incomes run from $84,112 (Tract 149.03) to $132,857 (Tract 163.07).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 149.03New Castle County | 7,600 | $84,112 |
| Tract 163.01New Castle County | 7,296 | $98,306 |
| Tract 148.09New Castle County | 8,256 | $104,567 |
| Tract 148.08New Castle County | 6,420 | $80,714 |
| Tract 163.07New Castle County | 2,316 | $132,857 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Bear) · Census block assignment files
How does Bear compare with other places in Delaware?
Bear ranks 17th of 51 places in Delaware with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population (ACS 2020-2024) | 5th | 51 |
| Residents per square mile | 7th | 51 |
| Median household income | 17th | 51 |
| Per capita income | 20th | 51 |
| Median home value | 25th | 50 |
| Median gross rent | 7th | 47 |
| Poverty rate | 19th | 33 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 28th | 50 |
| Median age | 29th | 51 |
| Owner-occupied share | 35th | 50 |
| Work from home | 22nd | 38 |
| Travel time to work | 30th | 51 |
Bear's figures with every place in Delaware (CSV)
Every place in Delaware, sortable · Compare Bear with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Bear?
10 of the 57 figures for Bear on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Bear are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' school search.