Bear, Delaware

Bear, Delaware
CDP
Location in New Castle County and the state of Delaware.
Coordinates: 39°37′13″N 75°41′5″W / 39.62028°N 75.68472°WCoordinates: 39°37′13″N 75°41′5″W / 39.62028°N 75.68472°W
Country	United States
State	Delaware
County	New Castle
Area
• Total	5.7 sq mi (14.9 km^2)
• Land	5.7 sq mi (14.9 km^2)
• Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km^2)
Elevation	69 ft (21 m)
Population (2000)
• Total	17,593
• Density	3,063.4/sq mi (1,182.8/km^2)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	19701
Area code(s)	302
FIPS code	10-04130
GNIS feature ID	0216026

Bear is a census-designated place (CDP) in New Castle County, Delaware, United States. The population was 17,593 at the 2000 census.

Originally a small crossroads in a rural area 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. Bear is not an incorporated municipality or strictly delineated area in the county, but instead a general reference to the collection of communities in the US ZIP codes 19701-19702.

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 US 40 and State Route 7), whose sign was decorated with the image of a large bear.

White Hall was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.^[1]

Geography

Bear is located at 39°37′13″N 75°41′5″W / 39.62028°N 75.68472°W (39.620362, -75.684776).^[2]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 5.7 square miles (15 km²), all of it land.

Demographics

As of the census^[3] of 2000, there were 17,593 people, 6,027 households, and 4,544 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 3,063.4 people per square mile (1,183.4/km²). There were 6,265 housing units at an average density of 1,090.9 per square mile (421.4/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 66.91% White, 26.79% African American, 0.22% Native American, 2.03% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.78% from other races, and 2.25% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.50% of the population.

There were 6,027 households out of which 46.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.4% were married couples living together, 18.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.6% were non-families. 18.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 2.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.92 and the average family size was 3.30.

In the CDP the population was spread out with 33.0% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 36.7% from 25 to 44, 17.7% from 45 to 64, and 4.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 95.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.7 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $53,240, and the median income for a family was $57,509. Males had a median income of $40,115 versus $30,231 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $20,715. About 4.3% of families and 5.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.7% of those under age 18 and 7.3% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Education for Bear is provided by three public school districts and numerous private schools. The public districts are: Colonial School District, Christina School District, and Appoquinimink School District, which also serves Middletown.

References

1. Staff (2010-07-09). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
2. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
3. "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.