Name: North Wilkesboro Livestock Auction livestock auction prices — 2026-05-20
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-05-20

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Slaughter Cattle Mostly Steady Feeder Cattle 5.00 To 12.00 Higher Demand Good Activity Active Offerings Moderate Quality Average To Attractive Head Calves 450.00 To 775.00

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $386.88/cwt on 19 head, down $40.39 from the prior sale. That ranks 14 of 23 comparable sales and sits +1.30 against this barn's trailing median of $385.57.

Average price

$386.88

▼ 40.39 vs prior sale

19 head · 544 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,105

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$338

per head · Medium and Large 1 over Medium 2

$74.08/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+25.59

vs NC average

−31.38 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	541	441.75	2,391	4thin
Medium 1	525	379.10	1,990	6thin
Medium 2	558	367.67	2,053	9thin

One grade step is worth $74.08/cwt here — about $338 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

23 sales

Heifers 500–600 lb: high $458.97, low $348.08, median $385.57 across 23 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 sale19 hd

386.88

—

NC average9 barns · 243 hd

361.29

+25.59

National average175 barns · 12,602 hd

418.26

−31.38

This barn, trailing median23 sales

385.57

+1.30

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

Slaughter cattle

By class and quality grade · $/cwt

Cull cows and bulls are graded, not weight-classed — grade is what moves the money here.

Class	Grade	Dressing	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Bulls	—	Low	1,607	203.08	3,263	9thin
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	High	1,427	175.33	2,502	3thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,053	157.61	1,659	18
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Very Low	815	108.00	880	1thin

Replacement cattle Per head

By class, stage and age

Bred stock and pairs are reported per head, not per hundredweight — these prices are never mixed with the $/cwt figures above.

Class	Stage	Age	Avg wt	$/head	Head
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,273	$2,216	3thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,195	$2,675	1thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	895	$2,600	1thin

Every lot, as filed

101 lots · USDA AMS · Wilkes Livestock Exchange - North Wilkesboro, NC

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	550	439.00/cwt	439.00–439.00	2,415	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	725	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	2,320	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	600–650	630	363.11/cwt	360.00–377.00	2,288	10
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	900–950	935	314.00/cwt	314.00–314.00	2,936	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	558	465.00/cwt	465.00–465.00	2,595	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	610	415.00/cwt	415.00–415.00	2,532	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	671	419.59/cwt	410.00–427.00	2,815	10
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	200–250	233	617.90/cwt	605.00–630.00	1,440	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	365	504.50/cwt	499.00–510.00	1,841	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	900–950	910	260.00/cwt	260.00–260.00	2,366	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	462	467.85/cwt	455.00–470.00	2,161	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	700	310.00/cwt	310.00–310.00	2,170	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	656	364.33/cwt	359.00–367.00	2,390	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	250–300	285	530.00/cwt	530.00–530.00	1,511	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	471	485.77/cwt	485.00–489.00	2,288	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	150–200	165	445.00/cwt	445.00–445.00	734	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	250–300	265	650.00/cwt	650.00–650.00	1,723	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	650–700	673	401.89/cwt	390.00–408.00	2,705	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	521	452.96/cwt	447.00–459.00	2,360	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	408	537.45/cwt	535.00–540.00	2,193	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	400–450	423	471.31/cwt	470.00–472.00	1,994	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	300–350	322	493.73/cwt	480.00–500.00	1,590	12
Bulls	Medium 1	400–450	448	465.00/cwt	465.00–465.00	2,083	6
Bulls	Medium 1	350–400	385	475.00/cwt	475.00–475.00	1,829	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	500–550	508	425.91/cwt	422.00–435.00	2,164	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	515	450.00/cwt	450.00–450.00	2,318	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	550–600	553	400.00/cwt	400.00–400.00	2,212	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	250–300	275	600.00/cwt	600.00–600.00	1,650	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	400–450	400	487.50/cwt	475.00–500.00	1,950	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	429	461.24/cwt	460.00–465.00	1,979	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	759	313.47/cwt	300.00–325.00	2,379	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	150–200	190	445.00/cwt	445.00–445.00	846	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	200–250	225	560.00/cwt	560.00–560.00	1,260	1
Bulls	Small and Medium 2	450–500	490	355.00/cwt	355.00–355.00	1,740	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	960	295.00/cwt	295.00–295.00	2,832	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	350–400	370	538.70/cwt	535.00–545.00	1,993	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	450–500	458	468.99/cwt	460.00–480.00	2,148	8
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	300–350	305	585.00/cwt	585.00–585.00	1,784	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	395	465.00/cwt	465.00–465.00	1,837	1
Steers	Small and Medium 2	450–500	480	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	1,680	1
Heifers	Small and Medium 2	750–800	750	195.00/cwt	195.00–195.00	1,463	1
Heifers	Small and Medium 2	400–450	445	235.00/cwt	235.00–235.00	1,046	1
Bulls	Small and Medium 2	400–450	445	200.00/cwt	200.00–200.00	890	1
Bulls	Small and Medium 2	700–750	710	255.00/cwt	255.00–255.00	1,811	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,046	161.96/cwt	149.00–168.00	1,694	10
Bulls	—	—	1,238	181.25/cwt	180.00–183.00	2,244	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	815	108.00/cwt	108.00–108.00	880	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,558	178.00/cwt	178.00–178.00	2,773	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	930	111.52/cwt	108.00–115.00	1,037	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,135	123.00/cwt	123.00–123.00	1,396	1
Heifers	Medium 1	450–500	485	433.39/cwt	430.00–442.00	2,102	7
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium 2	—	895	2,600.00/head	2,600.00–2,600.00	2,600	1
Bulls	—	—	1,715	214.78/cwt	210.00–221.00	3,683	5
Bulls	—	—	1,705	195.67/cwt	190.00–200.00	3,336	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,165	170.00/cwt	170.00–170.00	1,981	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,099	174.26/cwt	169.00–179.00	1,915	5
Steers	Medium 2	600–650	645	240.00/cwt	240.00–240.00	1,548	1
Heifers	Medium 2	400–450	425	362.25/cwt	355.00–369.00	1,540	2
Bulls	Medium 1	700–750	720	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	2,520	2
Steers	Medium 1	600–650	605	325.00/cwt	325.00–325.00	1,966	3
Steers	Medium 1	550–600	567	425.00/cwt	425.00–425.00	2,410	3
Heifers	Medium 1	650–700	650	225.00/cwt	225.00–225.00	1,463	1
Heifers	Medium 2	350–400	355	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	1,243	1
Dairy Heifers	Medium 2	350–400	350	285.00/cwt	285.00–285.00	998	1
Steers	Medium 2	500–550	515	390.00/cwt	390.00–390.00	2,009	1
Steers	Medium 2	400–450	405	435.00/cwt	435.00–435.00	1,762	1
Steers	Medium 2	550–600	595	402.00/cwt	402.00–402.00	2,392	1
Heifers	Medium 2	450–500	485	360.00/cwt	360.00–360.00	1,746	1
Bulls	Medium 2	550–600	585	240.00/cwt	240.00–240.00	1,404	1
Heifers	Medium 2	550–600	570	380.07/cwt	372.00–388.00	2,166	6
Beef/Dairy Heifers	Medium 2	650–700	688	263.60/cwt	235.00–292.00	1,814	2
Bulls	Medium 2	400–450	410	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	1,230	1
Steers	Medium 2	250–300	265	420.00/cwt	420.00–420.00	1,113	1
Heifers	Medium 2	300–350	315	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	788	1
Steers	Medium 2	450–500	455	400.00/cwt	400.00–400.00	1,820	1
Heifers	Medium 2	200–250	224	410.50/cwt	400.00–440.00	920	4
Heifers	Medium 2	500–550	535	342.87/cwt	329.00–350.00	1,834	3
Steers	Medium 1	500–550	540	425.00/cwt	425.00–425.00	2,295	1
Heifers	Medium 2	700–750	745	260.00/cwt	260.00–260.00	1,937	1
Bulls	Medium 2	350–400	372	435.35/cwt	410.00–450.00	1,620	5
Heifers	Medium 1	350–400	385	455.44/cwt	452.00–465.00	1,753	9
Heifers	Medium 1	300–350	303	457.48/cwt	455.00–460.00	1,386	2
Steers	Medium 1	450–500	487	451.61/cwt	450.00–460.00	2,199	6
Heifers	Medium 1	150–200	183	412.67/cwt	400.00–425.00	755	2
Bulls	Medium 2	450–500	487	420.00/cwt	420.00–420.00	2,045	3
Bulls	Medium 2	500–550	525	375.00/cwt	375.00–375.00	1,969	1
Heifers	Medium 1	400–450	442	430.04/cwt	425.00–440.00	1,901	3
Bulls	Medium 1	650–700	685	372.00/cwt	372.00–372.00	2,548	3
Bulls	Medium 1	450–500	460	450.00/cwt	450.00–450.00	2,070	2
Bulls	Medium 1	550–600	565	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	2,091	1
Bulls	Medium 2	700–750	723	309.91/cwt	305.00–315.00	2,241	2
Heifers	Medium 2	900–950	905	228.00/cwt	228.00–228.00	2,063	1
Bulls	Medium 1	250–300	295	590.00/cwt	590.00–590.00	1,741	1
Bulls	Medium 1	300–350	335	495.00/cwt	495.00–495.00	1,658	1
Bulls	Medium 1	500–550	525	414.36/cwt	400.00–418.00	2,175	7
Heifers	Medium 1	500–550	525	379.10/cwt	369.00–385.00	1,990	6
Steers	Medium 1	400–450	410	495.00/cwt	495.00–495.00	2,030	1
Heifers	Medium 1	200–250	215	455.00/cwt	455.00–455.00	978	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,273	2,215.84/head	2,000.00–2,325.00	2,216	3
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,195	2,675.00/head	2,675.00–2,675.00	2,675	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	700–750	724	371.02/cwt	362.00–385.00	2,686	5

How this sale compares

North Carolina weighted averages

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

North Carolina feeder prices, every weight →Every state and region →

Wilkes Livestock Exchange - North Wilkesboro, NC

Wed May 20, 2026

USDA Livestock, Poultry & Grain Market News · Federal-State Market News Service, Raleigh, NC (RA-LS)

Feeder CattleReceipts 266Last week 385Year ago 93

Slaughter CattleReceipts 31Last week 28Year ago 12

Replacement CattleReceipts 5Last week 4Year ago 0

Slaughter Cattle Mostly Steady Feeder Cattle 5.00 To 12.00 Higher Demand Good Activity Active Offerings Moderate Quality Average To Attractive Head Calves 450.00 To 775.00

Feeder Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
1	150–200	190	445.00	445.00
1	200–250	225	560.00	560.00
1	250–300	285	530.00	530.00
12	300–350	322	480.00–500.00	493.73
2	350–400	365	499.00–510.00	504.50
7	400–450	429	460.00–465.00	461.24
7	450–500	462	455.00–470.00	467.85
1	500–550	515	450.00	450.00
3	550–600	550	439.00	439.00
6	650–700	656	359.00–367.00	364.33
2	700–750	700	310.00	310.00
8	750–800	759	300.00–325.00	313.47
1	900–950	910	260.00	260.00
Heifers — Small and Medium 2$ per cwt · actual wt
1	400–450	445	235.00	235.00
1	750–800	750	195.00	195.00
Heifers — Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt
2	150–200	183	400.00–425.00	412.67
1	200–250	215	455.00	455.00
2	300–350	303	455.00–460.00	457.48
9	350–400	385	452.00–465.00	455.44
3	400–450	442	425.00–440.00	430.04
7	450–500	485	430.00–442.00	433.39
6	500–550	525	369.00–385.00	379.10
1	650–700	650	225.00	225.00
Heifers — Medium 2$ per cwt · actual wt
4	200–250	224	400.00–440.00	410.50
1	300–350	315	250.00	250.00
1	350–400	355	350.00	350.00
2	400–450	425	355.00–369.00	362.25
1	450–500	485	360.00	360.00
3	500–550	535	329.00–350.00	342.87
6	550–600	570	372.00–388.00	380.07
1	700–750	745	260.00	260.00
1	900–950	905	228.00	228.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
1	250–300	275	600.00	600.00
1	350–400	395	465.00	465.00
2	400–450	408	535.00–540.00	537.45
5	450–500	471	485.00–489.00	485.77
11	500–550	521	447.00–459.00	452.96
2	550–600	558	465.00	465.00
1	600–650	610	415.00	415.00
10	650–700	671	410.00–427.00	419.59
2	700–750	725	320.00	320.00
2	950–1000	960	295.00	295.00
Steers — Small and Medium 2$ per cwt · actual wt
1	450–500	480	350.00	350.00
Steers — Medium 2$ per cwt · actual wt
1	250–300	265	420.00	420.00
1	400–450	405	435.00	435.00
1	450–500	455	400.00	400.00
1	500–550	515	390.00	390.00
1	550–600	595	402.00	402.00
1	600–650	645	240.00	240.00
Steers — Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt
1	400–450	410	495.00	495.00
6	450–500	487	450.00–460.00	451.61
1	500–550	540	425.00	425.00
3	550–600	567	425.00	425.00
3	600–650	605	325.00	325.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
1	150–200	165	445.00	445.00
2	200–250	233	605.00–630.00	617.90
1	250–300	265	650.00	650.00
1	300–350	305	585.00	585.00
4	350–400	370	535.00–545.00	538.70
2	400–450	400	475.00–500.00	487.50
8	450–500	458	460.00–480.00	468.99
14	500–550	508	422.00–435.00	425.91
3	550–600	553	400.00	400.00
10	600–650	630	360.00–377.00	363.11
3	650–700	673	390.00–408.00	401.89
5	700–750	724	362.00–385.00	371.02
1	900–950	935	314.00	314.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
3	400–450	423	470.00–472.00	471.31
Bulls — Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt
1	250–300	295	590.00	590.00
1	300–350	335	495.00	495.00
1	350–400	385	475.00	475.00
6	400–450	448	465.00	465.00
2	450–500	460	450.00	450.00
7	500–550	525	400.00–418.00	414.36
1	550–600	565	370.00	370.00
3	650–700	685	372.00	372.00
2	700–750	720	350.00	350.00
Bulls — Small and Medium 2$ per cwt · actual wt
1	400–450	445	200.00	200.00
1	450–500	490	355.00	355.00
1	700–750	710	255.00	255.00
Bulls — Medium 2$ per cwt · actual wt
5	350–400	372	410.00–450.00	435.35
1	400–450	410	300.00	300.00
3	450–500	487	420.00	420.00
1	500–550	525	375.00	375.00
1	550–600	585	240.00	240.00
2	700–750	723	305.00–315.00	309.91
Dairy Heifers — Medium 2$ per cwt · actual wt
1	350–400	350	285.00	285.00
Beef/Dairy Heifers — Medium 2$ per cwt · actual wt
2	650–700	688	235.00–292.00	263.60

Slaughter Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Boner 80-85%$ per cwt · actual wt
10	—	1,046	149.00–168.00	161.96
2	—	930	108.00–115.00	111.52
1	—	1,135	123.00	123.00
5	—	1,099	169.00–179.00	174.26
Cows — Lean 85-90%$ per cwt · actual wt
1	—	815	108.00	108.00
Cows — Breaker 75-80%$ per cwt · actual wt
2	—	1,558	178.00	178.00
1	—	1,165	170.00	170.00
Bulls$ per cwt · actual wt
2	—	1,238	180.00–183.00	181.25
5	—	1,715	210.00–221.00	214.78
2	—	1,705	190.00–200.00	195.67

Replacement Cattle

As reported

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cow-Calf Pairs — Medium 2$ per head · actual wt
Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	Open	1	—	895	2,600.00	2,600.00
Cow-Calf Pairs — Medium and Large 1-2$ per head · actual wt
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	Open	1	—	1,195	2,675.00	2,675.00
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1-2$ per head · actual wt
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	3	—	1,273	2,000.00–2,325.00	2,215.84

Head, weight ranges, average weights and price ranges are exactly as USDA AMS filed them — nothing recomputed, nothing rounded — in USDA's own reporting structure. This is RaisedBeef's rendering of that data, not a copy of USDA's document.

Feeder Cattle — prices, barns, and planning

Fed Cattle — the cash market and what quality pays

Beef & Retail — from the box to the grocery shelf

Feed & Hay — the cost side, cash not futures

Cows & Bred Stock — the rebuild market

More

North Wilkesboro Livestock Auction

Reporter comment USDA

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

What quality paid 500–600 lb

This barn's trailing prices 500–600 lb

How it compared 500–600 lb

Slaughter cattle

Replacement cattle Per head

Every lot, as filed

How this sale compares

Wilkes Livestock Exchange - North Wilkesboro, NC

Feeder Cattle

Slaughter Cattle

Replacement Cattle