Name: Central Plains Stockyards livestock auction prices — 2026-09-23
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-09-23

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

SPECIAL CALF AND YEARLING AUCTION - No comparison stated today as the previous reported special was in the spring. Available today were large consignments of both yearling cattle and new crop calves along with many smaller packages that were all green, home-raised, 2X vaccinated from reputation herds. Demand was very good for today's moderate supply. Active internet bidding.

Weight class

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb steers averaged $405.17/cwt on 47 head, down $64.73 from the prior sale. That ranks 1 of 4 comparable sales and sits −60.70 against this barn's trailing median of $465.87.

Average price

$405.17

▼ 64.73 vs prior sale

47 head · 545 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,207

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$16

per head · Medium and Large 1 over Medium and Large 1-2

$4.90/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−2.92

vs IA average

−0.62 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	544	405.90	2,210	40
Medium and Large 1-2	547	401.00	2,193	7thin

One grade step is worth $4.90/cwt here — about $16 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 400–500 lb. USDA reports each grade on its own line and never publishes the spread.

This barn's trailing prices 500–600 lb

4 sales

Steers 500–600 lb: high $472.16, low $405.17, median $465.87 across 4 sales. Sales under 10 head in this class are excluded, so a thin day cannot swing the median or the ranking.

How it compared 500–600 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only

This sale47 hd

405.17

—

IA average3 barns · 135 hd

408.09

−2.92

National average171 barns · 11,845 hd

405.79

−0.62

This barn, trailing median4 sales

465.87

−60.70

A barn can sit above the state average at one weight and below it at another — check the class you actually sell.

Every lot, as filed

37 lots · USDA AMS · Central Plains Stockyards Livestock Auction - Humeston, IA

Nothing removed and nothing rounded — the same lots as the USDA report, with per-head values added.

Class	Grade / description	Weight	Avg wt	Price	Range	Per head	Head
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	565	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	2,091	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	889	303.57/cwt	303.00–304.00	2,699	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	968	269.00/cwt	269.00–269.00	2,604	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	610	348.90/cwt	344.00–353.00	2,128	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	893	326.50/cwt	326.50–326.50	2,916	62
Steers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	829	333.57/cwt	332.75–338.75	2,765	73
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	700–750	712	321.00/cwt	321.00–321.00	2,286	24
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	481	444.34/cwt	440.00–445.00	2,137	60
Steers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	450	499.00/cwt	499.00–499.00	2,246	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	650–700	665	326.00/cwt	326.00–326.00	2,168	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	514	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	1,902	15
Steers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	778	340.14/cwt	339.00–347.00	2,646	54
Steers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	573	381.49/cwt	380.00–385.00	2,186	14
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	600–650	634	381.25/cwt	381.25–381.25	2,417	12
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	250–300	268	631.00/cwt	631.00–631.00	1,691	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	650–700	651	347.00/cwt	347.00–347.00	2,259	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	532	415.00/cwt	415.00–415.00	2,208	19
Steers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	658	354.26/cwt	352.50–362.00	2,331	32
Steers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	733	347.34/cwt	346.00–349.00	2,546	20
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	521	430.00/cwt	430.00–430.00	2,240	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	958	303.00/cwt	303.00–303.00	2,903	35
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	387	526.00/cwt	526.00–526.00	2,036	40
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	752	326.25/cwt	326.25–326.25	2,453	35
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	750–800	782	275.00/cwt	275.00–275.00	2,151	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	638	368.34/cwt	367.00–380.00	2,350	29
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	450–500	471	455.00/cwt	455.00–455.00	2,143	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	600–650	617	336.50/cwt	335.00–340.00	2,076	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	665	328.00/cwt	328.00–328.00	2,181	22
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	664	347.42/cwt	340.00–350.00	2,307	28
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	533	403.00/cwt	403.00–403.00	2,148	17
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	560	352.00/cwt	352.00–352.00	1,971	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	500–550	547	401.00/cwt	401.00–401.00	2,193	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	495	476.00/cwt	476.00–476.00	2,356	52
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	580	343.91/cwt	340.00–348.00	1,995	19
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	391	555.00/cwt	555.00–555.00	2,170	32
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	426	475.00/cwt	475.00–475.00	2,024	17
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	400–450	445	432.00/cwt	432.00–432.00	1,922	4

How this sale compares

Iowa weighted averages

One sale is one barn on one day. The state ladder is every Iowa auction USDA reported that week, weighted by head — the fairer test of whether a lot sold well.

Iowa feeder prices, every weight →Every state and region →