The first post office in McCune was established in August, 1878. McCune was laid out in 1879. It was named for its founder, Isaac McCune. McCune was incorporated as a city in 1881. McCune was located on the St. Louis–San Francisco Railway's Parsons subdivision. The grain elevator in McCune still stands, and was the largest on this rail line.
Geography
McCune is located at . According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of, all of it land.
As of the census of 2010, there were 405 people, 169 households, and 110 families living in the city. The population density was. There were 207 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the city was 93.6% White, 2.5% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.7% from other races, and 2.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.2% of the population. There were 169 households of which 35.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.9% were married couplesliving together, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 34.9% were non-families. 28.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.92. The median age in the city was 39.4 years. 24.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.7% were from 25 to 44; 29.4% were from 45 to 64; and 13.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 51.1% male and 48.9% female.
2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 426 people, 173 households, and 115 families living in the city. The population density was 1,384.6 people per square mile. There were 203 housing units at an average density of 659.8 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 97.65% White, 0.94% Native American, 0.23% Asian, 0.23% from other races, and 0.94% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.41% of the population. There were 173 households out of which 40.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.3% were married couples living together, 7.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.5% were non-families. 30.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.10. In the city, the population was spread out with 29.1% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 27.9% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 12.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.1 males. The median income for a household in the city was $30,347, and the median income for a family was $34,375. Males had a median income of $29,375 versus $20,625 for females. The per capita income for the city was $12,563. About 12.9% of families and 16.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.0% of those under age 18 and 6.9% of those age 65 or over.
Education
McCune is a part of USD 247. The Southeast High School mascot is Lancers. McCune High School was closed through school unification. The McCune High School mascot was McCune Eagles.