Bear, DE Homes & Real Estate

Bear is an unincorporated community in southwestern New Castle County, centered on the area where Route 40 and Route 7 cross. It runs from the Glasgow area toward the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal, and it is mostly residential subdivisions, with shopping centers along Route 40 and Route 896.

Location is the main draw. Route 1 and I-95 are both close, so Wilmington, Newark, Christiana and the Philadelphia area are all reachable by highway, and Route 301 and Route 896 lead south toward Middletown, Dover and Maryland. Route 40 gives a direct link west to Maryland’s Cecil County. Delaware City and the Port of Wilmington are also within a short drive of most of Bear.

Lums Pond State Park is the biggest nearby outdoor space. It has a large freshwater pond, trails, a boat launch, camping and a playground, and it sits right at Bear’s south edge. Glasgow Park, on Route 896 near Route 40, adds athletic fields and walking paths. Grocery stores, restaurants, banks and medical offices are along Route 40, and Christiana Mall and the ChristianaCare Christiana Hospital campus are a short drive north.

Housing in Bear is mostly single-family homes and townhomes in planned communities built over the past several decades, with some larger lots toward the canal and farmland to the south. Home values here can vary quite a bit by community and age, so we compare each home with recent sales in the same neighborhood. If you are thinking about selling, a free home value is the quickest first step.

Because most of Bear is built in planned communities, two homes a mile apart can differ in lot size, age and community fees. We compare each home with recent sales in its own neighborhood and spell out HOA dues, property taxes and any special assessments up front. If you commute, it is also worth testing the drive at rush hour on Route 40, Route 896 and the Route 1 toll road before you decide, since those are the roads most people use to reach work.