Name: North Wilkesboro Livestock Auction livestock auction prices — 2026-04-08
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-04-08

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Slaughter Cattle 7.00 To 12.00 Higher Feeder Cattle 10.00 To 16.00 Higher Demand Good Activity Active Offerings Moderate Quality Attractive

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $402.33/cwt on 17 head, up $16.71 from the prior sale (only 16 head in that comparison). That ranks 16 of 23 comparable sales and sits +16.75 against this barn's trailing median of $385.57.

Average price

$402.33

▲ 16.71 vs prior sale

17 head · 545 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,192

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$209

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

$32.67/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+31.19

vs NC average

−26.03 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	547	411.94	2,254	12thin
Medium and Large 2	539	379.26	2,045	5thin

One grade step is worth $32.67/cwt here — about $209 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 600–700 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 sale17 hd

402.33

—

NC average8 barns · 178 hd

371.14

+31.19

National average175 barns · 10,626 hd

428.36

−26.03

This barn, trailing median23 sales

385.57

+16.75

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
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	High	1,368	184.83	2,528	4thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	High	1,089	170.28	1,854	15
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	868	150.23	1,304	4thin

Every lot, as filed

52 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	400–450	420	477.79/cwt	457.00–507.00	2,007	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	605	437.00/cwt	437.00–437.00	2,644	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	509	517.55/cwt	490.00–520.00	2,634	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	250–300	285	480.00/cwt	480.00–480.00	1,368	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	400–450	415	417.00/cwt	417.00–417.00	1,731	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	300–350	340	380.00/cwt	380.00–380.00	1,292	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	514	403.04/cwt	372.00–447.00	2,072	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	825	307.00/cwt	307.00–307.00	2,533	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	700–750	710	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	2,627	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	300–350	311	519.17/cwt	510.00–527.00	1,615	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	437	457.51/cwt	422.00–489.00	1,999	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	300–350	340	455.00/cwt	455.00–455.00	1,547	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	760	325.00/cwt	325.00–325.00	2,470	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	395	522.00/cwt	522.00–522.00	2,062	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	550–600	555	440.00/cwt	440.00–440.00	2,442	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	750–800	795	297.00/cwt	297.00–297.00	2,361	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	400–450	435	484.07/cwt	470.00–502.00	2,106	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	500–550	525	454.55/cwt	440.00–470.00	2,386	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	550–600	560	370.77/cwt	360.00–382.00	2,076	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	496	448.00/cwt	442.00–450.00	2,222	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,078	178.34/cwt	172.00–185.00	1,923	8
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	868	127.45/cwt	125.00–130.00	1,106	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	880	194.00/cwt	194.00–194.00	1,707	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	855	152.00/cwt	152.00–152.00	1,300	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,368	184.83/cwt	180.00–188.00	2,528	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,098	163.41/cwt	152.00–168.00	1,794	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	200–250	218	474.71/cwt	470.00–480.00	1,035	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	800–850	800	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	2,160	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	650–700	650	305.00/cwt	305.00–305.00	1,983	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 3	600–650	610	275.00/cwt	275.00–275.00	1,678	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	500–550	508	392.00/cwt	392.00–392.00	1,991	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,120	147.00/cwt	147.00–147.00	1,646	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	478	491.66/cwt	490.00–495.00	2,350	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	684	345.00/cwt	345.00–345.00	2,360	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	550–600	560	447.50/cwt	435.00–460.00	2,506	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	716	346.64/cwt	325.00–349.00	2,482	21
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	200–250	225	567.33/cwt	565.00–570.00	1,276	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	350–400	368	455.71/cwt	385.00–520.00	1,677	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	468	475.18/cwt	459.00–485.00	2,224	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	300–350	323	483.69/cwt	469.00–510.00	1,562	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	450–500	482	480.48/cwt	460.00–497.00	2,316	13
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	650–700	668	389.69/cwt	375.00–395.00	2,603	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	420	447.00/cwt	447.00–447.00	1,877	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	571	418.29/cwt	397.00–435.00	2,388	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	378	485.10/cwt	470.00–500.00	1,834	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	200–250	220	510.34/cwt	505.00–515.00	1,123	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	825	337.00/cwt	337.00–337.00	2,780	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	350–400	385	516.00/cwt	487.00–545.00	1,987	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	578	487.49/cwt	485.00–490.00	2,818	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	725	347.00/cwt	347.00–347.00	2,516	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	600–650	620	402.58/cwt	392.00–427.00	2,496	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	250–300	273	551.15/cwt	525.00–570.00	1,505	4

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 Apr 8, 2026

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

Feeder CattleReceipts 174Last week 121Year ago 34

Slaughter CattleReceipts 23Last week 29Year ago 8

Slaughter Cattle 7.00 To 12.00 Higher Feeder Cattle 10.00 To 16.00 Higher Demand Good Activity Active Offerings Moderate Quality Attractive

Feeder Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
2	200–250	220	505.00–515.00	510.34
1	250–300	285	480.00	480.00
3	300–350	323	469.00–510.00	483.69
2	350–400	378	470.00–500.00	485.10
4	400–450	420	457.00–507.00	477.79
13	450–500	468	459.00–485.00	475.18
5	500–550	514	372.00–447.00	403.04
7	550–600	571	397.00–435.00	418.29
4	650–700	684	345.00	345.00
21	700–750	716	325.00–349.00	346.64
1	750–800	760	325.00	325.00
2	800–850	825	307.00	307.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
2	200–250	218	470.00–480.00	474.71
1	300–350	340	455.00	455.00
6	400–450	437	422.00–489.00	457.51
4	450–500	496	442.00–450.00	448.00
2	500–550	508	392.00	392.00
3	550–600	560	360.00–382.00	370.77
Heifers — Medium and Large 3$ per cwt · actual wt
1	650–700	650	305.00	305.00
1	800–850	800	270.00	270.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
1	350–400	395	522.00	522.00
1	400–450	420	447.00	447.00
3	450–500	478	490.00–495.00	491.66
12	500–550	509	490.00–520.00	517.55
2	550–600	578	485.00–490.00	487.49
1	600–650	605	437.00	437.00
1	700–750	725	347.00	347.00
2	800–850	825	337.00	337.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
1	300–350	340	380.00	380.00
2	350–400	368	385.00–520.00	455.71
1	400–450	415	417.00	417.00
1	550–600	555	440.00	440.00
1	750–800	795	297.00	297.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
2	200–250	225	565.00–570.00	567.33
4	250–300	273	525.00–570.00	551.15
4	300–350	311	510.00–527.00	519.17
2	350–400	385	487.00–545.00	516.00
4	400–450	435	470.00–502.00	484.07
13	450–500	482	460.00–497.00	480.48
6	500–550	525	440.00–470.00	454.55
2	550–600	560	435.00–460.00	447.50
4	600–650	620	392.00–427.00	402.58
11	650–700	668	375.00–395.00	389.69
1	700–750	710	370.00	370.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 3$ per cwt · actual wt
1	600–650	610	275.00	275.00

Slaughter Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Boner 80-85%$ per cwt · actual wt
8	—	1,078	172.00–185.00	178.34
6	—	1,098	152.00–168.00	163.41
1	—	1,120	147.00	147.00
Cows — Lean 85-90%$ per cwt · actual wt
2	—	868	125.00–130.00	127.45
1	—	880	194.00	194.00
1	—	855	152.00	152.00
Cows — Breaker 75-80%$ per cwt · actual wt
4	—	1,368	180.00–188.00	184.83

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