McCook is a city in and the county seat of Red Willow County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 7,446 at the 2020 census.
History
McCook was platted in 1882 when the Burlington and Missouri River Railroad was extended to that point. It was named in honor of Alexander McDowell McCook, a brigadier general in the Union Army during the American Civil War.
McCook is known as the capital of the Buffalo Commons. In the 1980’s when times were hard, academics proposed that they should depopulate the high plains and give it back to the buffalo, except people of the town did not agree and wanted to stay on the land that they loved. The people were resourceful and able to overcome the hardship/stay in their community.
Nowadays, the Buffalo Commons is used as a metaphor for looking for a solution. A solution McCook has been trying to utilize is tourism and community growth.
Demographics
2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 7,698 people, 3,324 households, and 2,021 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 3,717 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 95.8% White, 0.5% African American, 0.5% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 1.5% from other races, and 1.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.9% of the population.
There were 3,324 households, of which 27.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.8% were married couples living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 39.2% were non-families. 33.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.89.
The median age in the city was 40.7 years. 23% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22% were from 25 to 44; 26.2% were from 45 to 64; and 19.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.3% male and 51.7% female.
2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 7,994 people, 3,371 households, and 2,154 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 3,754 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.37% White, 0.18% African American, 0.45% Native American, 0.18% Asian, 0.91% from other races, and 0.91% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.53% of the population. The population was 7,410 in 2009.
There were 3,371 households, out of which 29.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.7% were married couples living together, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.1% were non-families. 31.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.90.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.1% under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 24.2% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 20.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.3 males.
As of 2000 the median income for a household in the city was $31,105, and the median income for a family was $40,455. Males had a median income of $28,065 versus $18,516 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,691. About 7.9% of families and 9.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.7% of those under age 18 and 8.4% of those age 65 or over.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land.
Climate
McCook's climate is formally classified as hot-summer humid continental. Due to the very hot and humid summers typical of the Midwest and the January daily mean averaging around it has a little bit of influence of the subtropical climates to the south, although winter nights are way too severe for subtropical plants to thrive. Winters are generally cold and dry and summers hot and humid. Precipitation is concentrated in spring and summer, accumulating to an annual normal of , the majority of which occurs from May through August. Snowfall is generally light, with a normal of per season, and generally occurs from November through April.