McEwen is a city in Humphreys County, Tennessee, United States. As of the 2020 census, McEwen had a population of 1,643.
In December of 2022, a dehydrated human heart was found inside one of the salt piles of the Tennessee Department of Transportation; the case remains unresolved.
Geography
McEwen is located in eastern Humphreys County at (36.108810, -87.634974). U.S. Route 70 passes through the center of the city, leading east to Dickson and west to Waverly, the Humphreys county seat. Tennessee State Route 231 (Main Street) leads north to Erin.
According to the United States Census Bureau, McEwen has a total area of , of which , or 0.03%, are water.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, McEwen had a population of 1,643. The median age was 41.6 years. 22.3% of residents were under the age of 18 and 19.2% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 92.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 84.3 males age 18 and over.
There were 709 households in McEwen, of which 29.9% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 38.9% were married-couple households, 19.3% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 34.4% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 32.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
! Race !! Number !! Percent
|-
| White || 1,532 || 93.2%
|-
| Black or African American || 9 || 0.5%
|-
| American Indian and Alaska Native || 4 || 0.2%
|-
| Asian || 6 || 0.4%
|-
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 0 || 0.0%
|-
| Some other race || 5 || 0.3%
|-
| Two or more races || 87 || 5.3%
|-
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 33 || 2.0%
|}
2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there was a population of 1,702, with 725 households and 476 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 775 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.65% White, 0.35% African American, 0.18% Native American, 0.06% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.12% from other races, and 0.59% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.53% of the population.
There were 725 households, out of which 30.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.0% were married couples living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.3% were non-families. 30.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.92.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.6% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 27.7% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 15.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $30,682, and the median income for a family was $39,167. Males had a median income of $30,417 versus $22,109 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,375. About 11.2% of families and 15.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.0% of those under age 18 and 14.3% of those age 65 or over.
Culture
McEwen is the home of the Irish Picnic, a fundraiser for the local St. Patrick Church and School. It was established in 1854 and was recognised in 1988 by the Guinness Book of World Records as "The World's Largest Outdoor Barbecue". The event is held annually on the last Friday and Saturday in July.
Human heart mystery
In December 2022, local workers discovered a dehydrated human heart in a Tennessee Department of Transportation salt pile in Humphreys County. The heart was analyzed, and the only thing that could be determined was that the heart belonged to an adult male. , no body has been found and the case remains unsolved.
Notable residents
- Russ Craft, NFL player
- Ralph Emery, country music disc jockey and television host
- Daryl Mosley, bluegrass musician
- Beasley Smith, composer and big-band musician