Name: North Wilkesboro Livestock Auction livestock auction prices — 2026-09-02
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-09-02

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Slaughter Cattle 5.00 To 10.00 Lower Feeder Cattle 7.00 To 13.00 Lower Demand Good Activity Active Offerings Light Quality Average To Attractive Head Calves 550.00

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $334.84/cwt on 16 head, down $7.63 from the prior sale (only 10 head in that comparison). That ranks 3 of 26 comparable sales and sits −45.64 against this barn's trailing median of $380.47.

Average price

$334.84

▼ 7.63 vs prior sale

16 head · 531 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,779

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$310

per head · Medium and Large 1 over Medium and Large 3

$63.50/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+31.07

vs NC average

+3.32 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	545	348.50	1,899	2thin
Medium and Large 2	525	340.87	1,788	12thin
Medium and Large 3	558	285.00	1,589	2thin

One grade step is worth $63.50/cwt here — about $310 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 500–600 lb. USDA reports each grade on its own line and never publishes the spread.

This barn's trailing prices 500–600 lb

26 sales

Heifers 500–600 lb: high $458.97, low $319.53, median $380.47 across 26 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 sale16 hd

334.84

—

NC average9 barns · 170 hd

303.77

+31.07

National average157 barns · 5,611 hd

331.52

+3.32

This barn, trailing median26 sales

380.47

−45.64

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	1,617	179.23	2,899	4thin
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,408	155.99	2,196	6thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,146	141.02	1,616	7thin

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
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	955	$2,100	1thin

Every lot, as filed

49 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 2	550–600	568	294.36/cwt	290.00–299.00	1,672	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	700	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	1,890	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	505	360.00/cwt	360.00–360.00	1,818	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	1000–1050	1,040	245.00/cwt	245.00–245.00	2,548	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	495	372.00/cwt	372.00–372.00	1,841	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	900–950	910	200.00/cwt	200.00–200.00	1,820	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	450–500	450	295.00/cwt	295.00–295.00	1,328	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	550–600	560	345.32/cwt	327.00–350.00	1,934	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	350–400	368	339.16/cwt	315.00–347.00	1,248	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	500–550	516	350.17/cwt	308.00–355.00	1,807	10
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	400–450	437	364.85/cwt	355.00–385.00	1,594	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	425	317.71/cwt	300.00–335.00	1,350	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	350–400	370	390.00/cwt	390.00–390.00	1,443	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	550–600	550	295.00/cwt	295.00–295.00	1,623	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	491	322.24/cwt	320.00–329.00	1,582	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	550–600	560	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	1,400	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	500–550	545	285.00/cwt	285.00–285.00	1,553	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	550–600	570	285.00/cwt	285.00–285.00	1,625	1
Dairy Steers	Large 3	500–550	528	292.46/cwt	285.00–300.00	1,544	2
Dairy Steers	Large 3	350–400	380	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	1,292	1
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	955	2,100.00/head	2,100.00–2,100.00	2,100	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	450–500	492	369.00/cwt	369.00–369.00	1,815	10
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	250–300	285	440.00/cwt	440.00–440.00	1,254	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	300–350	340	450.00/cwt	450.00–450.00	1,530	1
Bulls	—	—	1,750	170.00/cwt	170.00–170.00	2,975	1
Bulls	—	—	1,573	182.30/cwt	180.00–188.00	2,868	3
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,268	147.84/cwt	145.00–150.00	1,875	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,478	160.07/cwt	156.00–164.00	2,366	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,210	149.42/cwt	145.00–151.00	1,808	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,060	129.82/cwt	123.00–134.00	1,376	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	641	290.84/cwt	290.00–291.00	1,864	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	550	310.00/cwt	310.00–310.00	1,705	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	600–650	615	280.00/cwt	280.00–280.00	1,722	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	400–450	400	402.00/cwt	402.00–402.00	1,608	6
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	200–250	200	545.00/cwt	545.00–545.00	1,090	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	300–350	330	382.00/cwt	382.00–382.00	1,261	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	350	380.00/cwt	380.00–380.00	1,330	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	250–300	252	375.00/cwt	375.00–375.00	945	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	200–250	220	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	770	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	540	387.00/cwt	387.00–387.00	2,090	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	660	272.00/cwt	272.00–272.00	1,795	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	445	365.00/cwt	365.00–365.00	1,624	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	496	392.52/cwt	385.00–397.00	1,947	8
Steers	Medium and Large 2	600–650	645	290.00/cwt	290.00–290.00	1,871	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	573	379.00/cwt	379.00–379.00	2,172	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	453	358.00/cwt	358.00–358.00	1,622	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	955	227.00/cwt	227.00–227.00	2,168	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	625	325.00/cwt	325.00–325.00	2,031	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	669	334.00/cwt	334.00–334.00	2,234	8

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 Sep 2, 2026

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

Feeder CattleReceipts 136Last week 308Year ago 29

Slaughter CattleReceipts 17Last week 15Year ago 13

Replacement CattleReceipts 1Last week 10Year ago 0

Slaughter Cattle 5.00 To 10.00 Lower Feeder Cattle 7.00 To 13.00 Lower Demand Good Activity Active Offerings Light Quality Average To Attractive Head Calves 550.00

Feeder Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
4	350–400	368	315.00–347.00	339.16
2	400–450	425	300.00–335.00	317.71
4	450–500	491	320.00–329.00	322.24
10	500–550	516	308.00–355.00	350.17
2	550–600	568	290.00–299.00	294.36
Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
1	200–250	220	350.00	350.00
2	250–300	252	375.00	375.00
2	300–350	330	382.00	382.00
3	350–400	350	380.00	380.00
1	400–450	445	365.00	365.00
14	450–500	453	358.00	358.00
1	500–550	540	387.00	387.00
1	550–600	550	310.00	310.00
6	600–650	641	290.00–291.00	290.84
1	650–700	660	272.00	272.00
2	700–750	700	270.00	270.00
1	950–1000	955	227.00	227.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 3$ per cwt · actual wt
1	450–500	450	295.00	295.00
1	500–550	545	285.00	285.00
1	550–600	570	285.00	285.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
8	450–500	496	385.00–397.00	392.52
1	500–550	505	360.00	360.00
11	550–600	573	379.00	379.00
2	600–650	625	325.00	325.00
8	650–700	669	334.00	334.00
1	1000–1050	1,040	245.00	245.00
Steers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
1	450–500	495	372.00	372.00
5	550–600	560	327.00–350.00	345.32
2	600–650	645	290.00	290.00
1	900–950	910	200.00	200.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
6	400–450	437	355.00–385.00	364.85
1	550–600	560	250.00	250.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
1	200–250	200	545.00	545.00
1	250–300	285	440.00	440.00
1	300–350	340	450.00	450.00
1	350–400	370	390.00	390.00
6	400–450	400	402.00	402.00
10	450–500	492	369.00	369.00
1	550–600	550	295.00	295.00
1	600–650	615	280.00	280.00
Dairy Steers — Large 3$ per cwt · actual wt
1	350–400	380	340.00	340.00
2	500–550	528	285.00–300.00	292.46

Replacement Cattle

As reported

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cow-Calf Pairs — Medium and Large 1-2$ per head · actual wt
Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	Open	1	—	955	2,100.00	2,100.00

Slaughter Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls$ per cwt · actual wt
1	—	1,750	170.00	170.00
3	—	1,573	180.00–188.00	182.30
Cows — Breaker 75-80%$ per cwt · actual wt
2	—	1,268	145.00–150.00	147.84
4	—	1,478	156.00–164.00	160.07
Cows — Boner 80-85%$ per cwt · actual wt
4	—	1,210	145.00–151.00	149.42
3	—	1,060	123.00–134.00	129.82

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

Replacement Cattle

Slaughter Cattle