Name: Smithfield Livestock Auction livestock auction prices — 2026-05-21
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-05-21

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week, slaughter cattle were 3.00 to 5.00 lower. Feeder cattle were mostly steady. Demand was good; market activity and buyer interest were active. Offerings of cattle were moderate. Cattle quality was average.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $397.67/cwt on 31 head, up $32.51 from the prior sale. That ranks 27 of 27 comparable sales and sits +35.54 against this barn's trailing median of $362.13.

Average price

$397.67

▲ 32.51 vs prior sale

31 head · 527 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,095

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$450

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

$96.39/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+32.24

vs NC average

−20.59 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	526	403.89	2,123	29
Medium and Large 2	544	307.50	1,673	2thin

One grade step is worth $96.39/cwt here — about $450 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 200–300 lb. USDA reports each grade on its own line and never publishes the spread.

This barn's trailing prices 500–600 lb

27 sales

Heifers 500–600 lb: high $397.67, low $291.28, median $362.13 across 27 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 sale31 hd

397.67

—

NC average9 barns · 250 hd

365.43

+32.24

National average175 barns · 12,602 hd

418.26

−20.59

This barn, trailing median27 sales

362.13

+35.54

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	—	High	1,412	204.94	2,894	5thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,169	160.11	1,872	7thin
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,490	157.85	2,352	10
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	925	130.18	1,204	11

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)	632	$1,800	1thin

Every lot, as filed

80 lots · USDA AMS · Powell Livestock Market - Smithfield, 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
Steers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	608	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	2,250	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	300–350	321	465.39/cwt	425.00–500.00	1,494	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	600–650	625	354.83/cwt	350.00–360.00	2,218	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	300–350	326	500.92/cwt	450.00–535.00	1,633	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	567	376.41/cwt	370.00–387.50	2,134	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	408	446.00/cwt	446.00–446.00	1,820	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Value Added	450–500	498	447.00/cwt	447.00–447.00	2,226	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	472	430.00/cwt	400.00–465.00	2,030	14
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	850–900	856	235.00/cwt	235.00–235.00	2,012	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	600	327.50/cwt	327.50–327.50	1,965	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	200–250	236	526.72/cwt	495.00–570.00	1,243	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	742	301.00/cwt	301.00–301.00	2,233	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	500–550	515	417.44/cwt	375.00–450.00	2,150	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	485	464.60/cwt	450.00–480.00	2,253	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	600–650	639	245.35/cwt	220.00–270.00	1,568	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	250–300	262	510.79/cwt	485.00–540.00	1,338	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	670	294.40/cwt	287.50–305.00	1,972	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	250–300	268	485.00/cwt	485.00–485.00	1,300	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	450–500	472	454.04/cwt	430.00–490.00	2,143	7
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	650–700	663	317.50/cwt	317.50–317.50	2,105	4
Stock Cows	Small 1-2	—	834	200.00/cwt	200.00–200.00	1,668	1
Stock Cows	Small 1-2	—	760	197.50/cwt	197.50–197.50	1,501	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	370	530.00/cwt	530.00–530.00	1,961	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	800–850	824	240.00/cwt	240.00–240.00	1,978	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	200–250	223	490.36/cwt	450.00–540.00	1,094	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	700–750	721	228.74/cwt	222.50–235.00	1,649	2
Bulls	Small 1	400–450	402	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	1,367	1
Bulls	Small 1	300–350	342	375.00/cwt	375.00–375.00	1,283	1
Bulls	Small 1	200–250	236	310.00/cwt	310.00–310.00	732	1
Heifers	Small 1	200–250	239	337.97/cwt	300.00–375.00	808	2
Stock Cows	Small 1-2	—	718	172.50/cwt	172.50–172.50	1,239	1
Cow-Calf Pairs	Small 1-2	—	632	1,800.00/head	1,800.00–1,800.00	1,800	1
Heifers	Small 1	300–350	332	345.00/cwt	345.00–345.00	1,145	1
Heifers	Small 1	400–450	416	325.00/cwt	325.00–325.00	1,352	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	886	114.41/cwt	111.00–120.00	1,014	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	930	141.25/cwt	135.00–150.00	1,314	7
Bulls	—	—	1,303	223.02/cwt	220.00–226.00	2,906	2
Bulls	—	—	1,769	206.82/cwt	200.00–210.00	3,659	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,524	155.76/cwt	150.00–165.00	2,374	7
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,108	130.00/cwt	130.00–130.00	1,440	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Value Added	500–550	502	421.12/cwt	421.00–422.50	2,114	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	822	299.38/cwt	257.50–311.00	2,461	9
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	350–400	385	478.07/cwt	455.00–500.00	1,841	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	532	398.11/cwt	375.00–417.50	2,118	12
Steers	Medium and Large 1Value Added	550–600	598	388.50/cwt	388.50–388.50	2,323	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Value Added	400–450	417	473.09/cwt	460.00–477.50	1,973	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	300–350	338	405.00/cwt	405.00–405.00	1,369	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	570	405.00/cwt	405.00–405.00	2,309	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	427	456.76/cwt	440.00–470.00	1,950	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1Value Added	600–650	639	380.00/cwt	380.00–380.00	2,428	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	850–900	854	232.50/cwt	232.50–232.50	1,986	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	500–550	520	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	1,820	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Value Added	600–650	602	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	2,227	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Value Added	350–400	368	485.00/cwt	485.00–485.00	1,785	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1Value Added	350–400	378	527.50/cwt	527.50–527.50	1,994	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	381	452.50/cwt	417.50–487.50	1,724	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	462	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	1,617	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	750–800	772	230.00/cwt	230.00–230.00	1,776	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	350–400	382	400.00/cwt	400.00–400.00	1,528	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	350–400	377	401.67/cwt	400.00–405.00	1,514	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	500–550	514	315.00/cwt	315.00–315.00	1,619	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	550–600	574	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	1,722	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 3	350–400	372	355.00/cwt	355.00–355.00	1,321	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 3	450–500	492	305.00/cwt	305.00–305.00	1,501	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	550–600	558	365.00/cwt	365.00–365.00	2,037	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	250–300	262	400.15/cwt	395.00–405.00	1,048	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	420	412.51/cwt	405.00–420.00	1,733	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	200–250	238	405.00/cwt	405.00–405.00	964	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	517	426.32/cwt	420.00–430.00	2,204	8
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	400–450	425	451.03/cwt	445.00–460.00	1,917	8
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	550–600	576	381.29/cwt	350.00–400.00	2,196	8
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	700–750	710	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	2,130	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	450–500	483	339.38/cwt	320.00–360.00	1,639	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	400–450	444	345.00/cwt	345.00–345.00	1,532	1
Bulls	—	—	916	165.00/cwt	165.00–165.00	1,511	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,561	179.07/cwt	175.00–183.00	2,795	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,006	100.00/cwt	100.00–100.00	1,006	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,169	160.11/cwt	150.00–173.00	1,872	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	550–600	556	400.00/cwt	400.00–400.00	2,224	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1Full	550–600	568	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	1,988	1

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 →

Powell Livestock Market - Smithfield, NC

Thu May 21, 2026

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

Feeder CattleReceipts 272Last week 312Year ago 286

Slaughter CattleReceipts 38Last week 57Year ago 43

Replacement CattleReceipts 4Last week 0Year ago 7

Feeder Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
1	350–400	370	530.00	530.00
1	400–450	408	446.00	446.00
2	450–500	485	450.00–480.00	464.60
8	500–550	517	420.00–430.00	426.32
1	550–600	570	405.00	405.00
1	600–650	608	370.00	370.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Value Added$ per cwt · actual wt
3	350–400	378	527.50	527.50
5	550–600	598	388.50	388.50
4	600–650	639	380.00	380.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Fleshy$ per cwt · actual wt
1	550–600	556	400.00	400.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Full$ per cwt · actual wt
1	550–600	568	350.00	350.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
4	200–250	223	450.00–540.00	490.36
1	250–300	268	485.00	485.00
5	300–350	321	425.00–500.00	465.39
9	350–400	381	417.50–487.50	452.50
6	400–450	427	440.00–470.00	456.76
14	450–500	472	400.00–465.00	430.00
12	500–550	532	375.00–417.50	398.11
5	550–600	567	370.00–387.50	376.41
1	600–650	600	327.50	327.50
4	650–700	670	287.50–305.00	294.40
1	700–750	742	301.00	301.00
9	800–850	822	257.50–311.00	299.38
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Value Added$ per cwt · actual wt
4	350–400	368	485.00	485.00
4	400–450	417	460.00–477.50	473.09
11	450–500	498	447.00	447.00
12	500–550	502	421.00–422.50	421.12
1	600–650	602	370.00	370.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Full$ per cwt · actual wt
2	600–650	639	220.00–270.00	245.35
2	700–750	721	222.50–235.00	228.74
Heifers — Small 1$ per cwt · actual wt
2	200–250	239	300.00–375.00	337.97
1	300–350	332	345.00	345.00
1	400–450	416	325.00	325.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
1	200–250	238	405.00	405.00
2	250–300	262	395.00–405.00	400.15
3	350–400	377	400.00–405.00	401.67
4	400–450	420	405.00–420.00	412.51
1	450–500	462	350.00	350.00
1	500–550	514	315.00	315.00
1	550–600	574	300.00	300.00
1	850–900	854	232.50	232.50
Heifers — Medium and Large 3$ per cwt · actual wt
1	400–450	444	345.00	345.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
3	200–250	236	495.00–570.00	526.72
5	250–300	262	485.00–540.00	510.79
5	300–350	326	450.00–535.00	500.92
3	350–400	385	455.00–500.00	478.07
8	400–450	425	445.00–460.00	451.03
7	450–500	472	430.00–490.00	454.04
10	500–550	515	375.00–450.00	417.44
8	550–600	576	350.00–400.00	381.29
2	600–650	625	350.00–360.00	354.83
4	650–700	663	317.50	317.50
1	700–750	710	300.00	300.00
1	800–850	824	240.00	240.00
1	850–900	856	235.00	235.00
Bulls — Small 1$ per cwt · actual wt
1	200–250	236	310.00	310.00
1	300–350	342	375.00	375.00
1	400–450	402	340.00	340.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
1	300–350	338	405.00	405.00
1	350–400	382	400.00	400.00
2	450–500	483	320.00–360.00	339.38
1	500–550	520	350.00	350.00
1	550–600	558	365.00	365.00
2	750–800	772	230.00	230.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 3$ per cwt · actual wt
1	350–400	372	355.00	355.00
1	450–500	492	305.00	305.00

Replacement Cattle

As reported

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Stock Cows — Small 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	1	—	834	200.00	200.00
(<2 yrs)	Open	1	—	760	197.50	197.50
Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	Open	1	—	718	172.50	172.50
Cow-Calf Pairs — Small 1-2$ per head · actual wt
Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	Open	1	—	632	1,800.00	1,800.00

Slaughter Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Lean 85-90%$ per cwt · actual wt
3	—	886	111.00–120.00	114.41
7	—	930	135.00–150.00	141.25
1	—	1,006	100.00	100.00
Cows — Breaker 75-80%$ per cwt · actual wt
7	—	1,524	150.00–165.00	155.76
1	—	1,108	130.00	130.00
2	—	1,561	175.00–183.00	179.07
Cows — Boner 80-85%$ per cwt · actual wt
7	—	1,169	150.00–173.00	160.11
Bulls$ per cwt · actual wt
2	—	1,303	220.00–226.00	223.02
2	—	1,769	200.00–210.00	206.82
1	—	916	165.00	165.00

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

Smithfield 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

Powell Livestock Market - Smithfield, NC

Feeder Cattle

Replacement Cattle

Slaughter Cattle