ZIP Code · DE

ZIP 19701

Part of Bear, DE

Pop. 42,984·New Castle County·2nd most expensive ZIP in Delaware

Median rent (all units)

$2,419/mo

Year-over-Year

+2.3%

Month-over-Month

+0.2%

vs US Median

+$487

Reported rents

Stable (Monthly)

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Most AffordableMost Expensive

ZIP 19701 · $2,419

More expensive than 78% of US ZIP codes · National median $1,932/mo

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Compare your rent to the local median.

Medians by bedroom

Rent by unit size

Studio

$1,710

1 BR

$1,860

2 BR

$2,220

3 BR

$2,660

4 BR+

$2,970

Research median

$2,220/mo

Bedroom estimates are gross rents that include essential utilities (electricity, water, gas, sewer, trash).

Rent trends

12-month history

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Last updated: October 17, 2026

From the history

What the numbers show

Cheapest month to sign

December. Asking rents in ZIP 19701 usually run 1.2% below trend in December and 1% above it in April, about $53 a month apart at today's median. Based on 5 years of data.

Compared with the peak

Rent in ZIP 19701 is 0.5% below its high of $2,431 in February 2026, at $2,419 as of September 2026.

Past year vs. the rest of Delaware

Rent in ZIP 19701 changed +2.3% over the year to September 2026. Across the 17 Delaware ZIP codes Zillow tracks, the typical change was +5.2%.

Recent direction

Rent rose in 7 of the last 12 months.

What a typical income covers

30% of the median household income ($111,198) is $2,780 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 3-bedroom ($2,660); a 4-bedroom is $2,970.

Cheaper nearby

ZIP 19702, 3 miles away, rents for 16% less ($2,022/mo), about $4,800 a year in savings.

From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for ZIP 19701. The seasonal pattern compares Zillow’s seasonally adjusted and unadjusted series. Income is the Census median household income (5-year estimates). Fair Market Rents are HUD’s, which include utilities.

Annual cost

$29,028/yr

At $2,419/mo median

Location

CityBear

StateDE

CountyNew Castle County

Rent Market Meter

Landlord's Market

Renter's MarketBalancedLandlord's Market

Rents are climbing (2.3% YoY), so leverage tilts toward landlords. Act sooner rather than later.

Based on rent-price momentum (+2.3% YoY, +0.2% MoM), not inventory.

Demographics

Who lives here

ZIP 19701 (Bear, DE) is majority owner-occupied, has a median income above the national average, 36.1% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Population

42,984

Median income

$111,198

Median age

42.1

Renters

19.5%

Age distribution

19.7%

20.1%

29.6%

15.3%

Under 1819.7%

18–3420.1%

35–5429.6%

55–6415.3%

65+15.3%

Gender

49%

51%

Male49%

Female51%

Race & ethnicity

52.2%

26.3%

White52.2%

Black26.3%

Hispanic10.6%

Asian9.3%

Other1.6%

Education (25+)

28.6%

36.1%

No HS diploma6.6%

HS diploma28.6%

Some college28.6%

Bachelor's+36.1%

Housing tenure

80.5%

19.5%

Owner80.5%

Renter19.5%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates

2021 vs 2026

How ZIP 19701 in Bear, DE has changed in 5 years

Rent

$1,805 → $2,419

up 34.0%

Income

$95,343 → $111,198

up 16.6%

Population

43,767 → 42,984

down 1.8%

Renter share

24.2% → 19.5%

-4.7 pts

Bachelor's+

35.1% → 36.1%

+1.0 pts

Median age

41.2 → 42.1

+0.9 yrs

The median rent in ZIP 19701 in Bear, DE stood at $1,805 in 2021 and currently runs about $2,419, reflecting a 34.0% increase over the period. Local incomes tracked alongside that move, going from a median of $95,343 in 2021 to $111,198 more recently. That spread, with rent up faster than earnings, points to a tougher affordability environment than five years ago. The population has contracted by 1.8% since 2021, moving from about 43,767 residents to roughly 42,984. Renters now make up 19.5% of households, compared with 24.2% five years ago. These shifts give renters and would-be renters a longer baseline for sizing up today's listings against the ZIP 19701 in Bear, DE market of 2021.

Community

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Local insights

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About renting in ZIP 19701

Last updated: October 17, 2026

ZIP code 19701 covers Bear, DE. The median rent here is $2,419/mo as of October 2026. A 1-bedroom rents for a median of $1,860/mo. A 2-bedroom rents for a median of $2,220/mo.

At 26% of local median household income ($111,198/yr), ZIP 19701 ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 2.3% over the past year.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How much income do you need to rent in ZIP 19701?

To keep rent at or below 30% of gross income, you would need to earn at least $97,000/year (about $47/hour full-time) to afford the median rent of $2,419/mo in ZIP 19701. The local median household income is $111,198/yr, so the typical household meets that bar.

Is rent going up or down in ZIP 19701?

Rent in ZIP 19701 has risen 2.3% over the past year as of September 2026. It sits 0.5% below its high of $2,431 in February 2026.

When is the cheapest time to rent in ZIP 19701?

Asking rents in ZIP 19701 are usually lowest in December, about 1.2% below their yearly trend, and highest in April, about 1% above it. At today's median that is a gap of roughly $53 a month. This pattern comes from 5 years of Zillow rent data.

How does ZIP 19701 compare to other ZIPs in Delaware?

ZIP 19701 is one of the pricier among Delaware ZIP codes for rent, ranking #2 of 19 at $2,419/mo. Over the year to September 2026, rent in ZIP 19701 changed +2.3%, against a typical +5.2% across the 17 Delaware ZIP codes Zillow tracks.