McClusky was laid out in 1905 when the railroad was extended to that point. The city was named for William Henderson McClusky, an early settler. A post office called McClusky has been in operation since 1903.
McClusky is located at . According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of, all of it land. McClusky is considered the "heart" of North Dakota as it is the geographical center of North Dakota.
As of the census of 2010, there were 380 people, 206 households, and 103 families residing in the city. The population density was. There were 278 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the city was 91.8% White, 0.5% African American, 2.9% Native American, 0.5% Pacific Islander, 1.3% from other races, and 2.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.1% of the population. There were 206 households of which 13.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.8% were married couplesliving together, 7.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 50.0% were non-families. 47.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 27.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.84 and the average family size was 2.58. The median age in the city was 54 years. 17.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 16.8% were from 25 to 44; 23% were from 45 to 64; and 37.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 44.5% male and 55.5% female.
2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 500 people, 205 households, and 110 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,072.9 people per square mile. There were 247 housing units at an average density of 638.6 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 99.28% White and 0.72% Native American. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.48% of the population. There were 205 households out of which 18.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.8% were married couples living together, 5.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.9% were non-families. 43.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 27.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.93 and the average family size was 2.64. In the city, the population was spread out with 16.9% under the age of 18, 4.1% from 18 to 24, 17.8% from 25 to 44, 24.6% from 45 to 64, and 36.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 56 years. For every 100 females, there were 82.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.5 males. The median income for a household in the city was $21,731, and the median income for a family was $32,344. Males had a median income of $26,094 versus $15,625 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,874. About 12.4% of families and 21.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 33.3% of those under age 18 and 22.9% of those age 65 or over.
