Affordable Bear Storage Units

Moving and storage go hand in hand. Whether traveling across town or the country, moving is an exciting and fresh start. While Storage Rentals of America is here to help you with all your storage needs, we also want to help you get familiar with the area. That's why we put together this resource guide for Bear, Delaware.

About Bear, DE.

The city of Bear, with its population of around 20,000, is in the top ten of the Areavibes choices for medium-sized towns in the state of Delaware. Bear is a quaint community in the northern part of the state. It is on the west side of the Delaware River, right across from New Jersey. It was named 'Bear' after the old Bear Tavern that used to exist at the crossroads, which ultimately became the center of the town.

Bear is a suburban/rural town. It is about 14 miles from the larger city of Wilmington, DE. To get to Bear from Wilmington, drive southwest on the I-95, pass the New Castle Airport, and then take the exit south onto Highway 1, which goes directly to Bear.

Bear is a rural community supported by farmers who mostly grow corn and raise cattle in the surrounding countryside. The community became popular because of the many housing developments built along Highway 40, which runs northeast to southwest through the town.

Many residents who live in Bear commute to Wilmington for work. Depending on traffic, the average commute time is just under a half hour to reach Wilmington. Driving northeast to Philadelphia takes about an hour.

What To Do in Bear, DE.

For those who enjoy the outdoors, the Lums Pond State Park in Bear provides opportunities for hiking, boating, and fishing. There are well-maintained picnic grounds and play areas for the kids. Some camping spots at the park have full RV hookups for electricity, water, and sewer. Over 80% of the visitors give this park a rating of very good to excellent.

A terrific outdoor experience in the Lums Pond State Park is the Go Ape Treetop Adventure Course. Visitors climb trees, climb rope ladders, and fly along on zip lines through the stunningly beautiful treetop canopy. Throughout the experience, park guests wear a safety harness to protect them from any danger of falling.

When the outside weather is cold, Bear has the indoor Delaware Rock Gym that offers rock climbing with climbing routes designed for beginners to experts.

During the winter holidays, a visit to Santa Claus Lane with the kids is a must-see experience. Every square inch of the outside and yards of the homes on this street have colorful lights and decorations.

Working in Bear, DE.

The median household income in Bear is around $71,000 (in 2018). This is higher than the national average of around $58,000. The industry sectors offering jobs in Bear include finance, insurance, healthcare, and retail.

The best-paying blue-collar jobs include working for utility companies, working in transportation, and working for warehouses. The highest-paid professional jobs are in the sciences, technical services, and working as health care practitioners.

For those willing to make a commute, there are plenty of jobs in many industry sectors found in Wilmington (a twenty-minute drive) and Philadelphia (one-hour drive).

Bear, DE. Neighborhoods

The best neighborhoods in Bear are these areas:

• Centennial Village: The median price of homes in this neighborhood is around $175,000. The average rental home is $1,500+ per month. Some newer homes in this area have been built since 2000.
• Fairwinds: Homes in this neighborhood sell for $270,000. They rent for $1,700 or more per month.
• Glendale: The prices in this area are similar to Centennial Village. Homes sell for about $175,000 and rent for $1,500 to $2,000 monthly.
• Kirkwood: This is the top area in Bear. Homes in this neighborhood sell for around $385,000. The majority of the homes are owner-occupied. Vacancy rates are less than 3%.
• Parkside: The median price of a home in this area is $330,000. Rents start at around $1,700 per month.
• Porter: This is another pricey, yet desirable, neighborhood. Homes are for sale at around $300,000 and rent for $2,300+ per month.

Bear, DE. School Districts

Three school districts for public schools extend from the nearby cities to include parts of Bear, which are:

• Appoquinimink School District (based in Odessa, serves nearby Middletown too)
• Colonial School District (based in New Castle)
• Christina School District (headquartered in Newark, DE). Most of the children that live in Bear attend private schools, which include
• Caravel Academy
• Red Lion Christian Academy
• Tall Oaks Classical School
• Fairwinds Christian School
• Glasgow Christian Academy (homeschooling program)

There are no colleges or universities in Bear. The nearest is Wilmington University in New Castle, DE.

Moving to Bear, DE. Resource Guide

DMV: Go to the Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles to register a vehicle or to get a driver's license/identification card.

Utilities:

• Electricity and natural gas are supplied by Delmarva Power tel 800-375-7117.
• Water and sewer services are provided by Artesian tel (302) 453-6930 (headquartered in Wilmington).
• Evergreen Waste Services provides weekly trash pick up and recycling tel 302-635-7055.
• Many national companies provide telephone, television, and Internet connection services, such as AT&T, DirecTV, Dish, Earthlink, fios, Xfinity, and many others. Use your zip code of the new place in Bear to find providers to choose from on Wirefly.com.

Government and Parks & Recreation: Bear is not officially a full city. It is a census-designated area. The offices of New Castle County handles government issues. The New Castle County Parks & Recreation Department manages the public parks. They offer plenty of programs and events for county residents.

Bear, DE. Housing and Cost-of-Living

The median home price is $180,000 in Bear. This is over $50,000 less than other Delaware cities and about $5,000 less than the national average. Owner-occupied homes comprise 65% of the homes in Bear versus 35% of rental units.

Rental prices are high. The median monthly rent of $1,342 is higher than other cities in Delaware by about $300 a month. Rents for homes are higher than the national average by about $400 per month. The high rents caused by the low vacancy rates make the overall housing costs in Bear exceed the national average.

In total, the cost of living in Bear is 1% less than in other cities in Delaware. It is 8% higher than the national average. Residents pay more, on average, for housing (11% more), services (10% more), groceries (9% more), and utilities (5% more) than those who live in other cities in America. Transportation is a little cheaper (5% less) than elsewhere. Healthcare costs are on par with national averages.

Bear is a wonderful community that combines a nice mix of country living with nearby city conveniences. Delaware was one of the first colonies to be established in America. Many families have lived in this area for generations.