Name: Saluda Stockyards livestock auction prices — 2026-08-17
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-08-17

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

No comparisons made due to limited comparable sales. Active buyer participation on moderate selection of average quality cattle.

Weight class

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb steers averaged $337.86/cwt on 14 head, down $64.61 from the prior sale (only 12 head in that comparison). That ranks 2 of 11 comparable sales and sits −64.42 against this barn's trailing median of $402.28.

Average price

$337.86

▼ 64.61 vs prior sale

14 head · 564 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,905

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$123

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

$29.82/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−30.44

vs SC average

−58.92 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	558	350.64	1,957	8thin
Medium and Large 2	572	320.82	1,833	6thin

One grade step is worth $29.82/cwt here — about $123 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

11 sales

Steers 500–600 lb: high $498.38, low $321.94, median $402.28 across 11 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 sale14 hd

337.86

—

SC average6 barns · 138 hd

368.30

−30.44

National average147 barns · 5,729 hd

396.78

−58.92

This barn, trailing median11 sales

402.28

−64.42

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	1,463	199.37	2,916	5thin
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,323	167.90	2,221	2thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,110	159.56	1,770	12
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	751	137.86	1,035	6thin

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)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,180	$2,500	1thin
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	910	$2,100	1thin
Bred Cows	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,015	$1,750	2thin
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	865	$1,525	1thin
Bred Cows	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	765	$1,250	1thin
Bred Heifers	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	730	$1,350	1thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,082	$3,521	8
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Young (2-4 yrs)	953	$3,325	4thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	840	$3,000	1thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Aged (>8 yrs)	824	$2,943	5
Stock Cows	Open	(<2 yrs)	1,020	$1,961	3thin

Every lot, as filed

84 lots · USDA AMS · Saluda Stockyards - Saluda, SC

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	500–550	542	357.50/cwt	357.50–357.50	1,938	4
Steers	Medium and Large 2Fleshy	550–600	565	305.00/cwt	305.00–305.00	1,723	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	770	290.00/cwt	290.00–290.00	2,233	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	660	313.72/cwt	310.00–317.50	2,071	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	365	410.00/cwt	410.00–410.00	1,497	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	407	396.56/cwt	390.00–400.00	1,614	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	510	337.50/cwt	337.50–337.50	1,721	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Value Added	550–600	558	317.49/cwt	315.00–320.00	1,772	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	380	465.00/cwt	465.00–465.00	1,767	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	475	423.63/cwt	420.00–435.00	2,012	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	250–300	265	555.00/cwt	555.00–555.00	1,471	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	625	312.52/cwt	310.00–317.50	1,953	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	550–600	555	328.33/cwt	325.00–330.00	1,822	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	400–450	425	425.00/cwt	420.00–430.00	1,806	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	550	332.50/cwt	332.50–332.50	1,829	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	600–650	600	302.50/cwt	302.50–302.50	1,815	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	300–350	300	505.00/cwt	505.00–505.00	1,515	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,080	2,457.00/head	2,457.00–2,457.00	2,457	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,180	2,500.00/head	2,500.00–2,500.00	2,500	1
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 2	—	820	3,500.00/head	3,500.00–3,500.00	3,500	1
Bred Cows	Small 1	—	910	2,100.00/head	2,100.00–2,100.00	2,100	1
Bred Cows	Small 1	—	1,125	1,900.00/head	1,900.00–1,900.00	1,900	1
Cow-Calf Pairs	Small 2	—	685	2,600.00/head	2,600.00–2,600.00	2,600	1
Cow-Calf Pairs	Small 1	—	830	3,350.00/head	3,350.00–3,350.00	3,350	1
Cow-Calf Pairs	Small 1	—	840	3,000.00/head	3,000.00–3,000.00	3,000	1
Bred Cows	Small 2	—	865	1,525.00/head	1,525.00–1,525.00	1,525	1
Cow-Calf Pairs	Small 3	—	785	1,750.00/head	1,750.00–1,750.00	1,750	1
Cow-Calf Pairs	Small 2	—	773	2,081.55/head	2,000.00–2,150.00	2,082	2
Bred Cows	Small 2	—	905	1,600.00/head	1,600.00–1,600.00	1,600	1
Bred Heifers	Small 2	—	730	1,350.00/head	1,350.00–1,350.00	1,350	1
Bred Cows	Small 2	—	765	1,250.00/head	1,250.00–1,250.00	1,250	1
Cow-Calf Pairs	Small 1	—	1,405	3,500.00/head	3,500.00–3,500.00	3,500	1
Cow-Calf Pairs	Small 1	—	1,185	3,400.00/head	3,400.00–3,400.00	3,400	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,187	165.52/cwt	160.00–176.00	1,965	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	713	121.45/cwt	115.00–127.50	866	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	770	146.06/cwt	140.00–157.50	1,125	4
Bulls	—	—	1,370	179.00/cwt	179.00–179.00	2,452	1
Bulls	—	—	1,486	204.46/cwt	189.00–213.00	3,038	4
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 2	—	970	3,650.00/head	3,650.00–3,650.00	3,650	2
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,158	4,103.78/head	4,050.00–4,150.00	4,104	2
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 2	—	1,003	3,684.16/head	3,600.00–3,750.00	3,684	2
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 2	—	925	3,700.00/head	3,700.00–3,700.00	3,700	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,323	167.90/cwt	164.00–172.00	2,221	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,032	153.60/cwt	148.00–159.00	1,585	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	500–550	535	295.00/cwt	295.00–295.00	1,578	1
Steers	Medium and Large 3	300–350	325	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	1,203	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 3	550–600	593	291.71/cwt	285.00–295.00	1,730	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 3	350–400	395	380.00/cwt	380.00–380.00	1,501	1
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 2	—	1,070	3,669.39/head	3,600.00–3,750.00	3,669	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 2	—	990	1,713.67/head	1,691.00–1,738.00	1,714	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	600–650	615	230.00/cwt	230.00–230.00	1,415	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	450–500	450	282.50/cwt	282.50–282.50	1,271	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Value Added	500–550	510	307.50/cwt	307.50–307.50	1,568	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	550–600	586	319.98/cwt	315.00–322.50	1,875	4
Steers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	483	410.00/cwt	410.00–410.00	1,980	3
Steers	Medium and Large 3	600–650	625	296.29/cwt	295.00–297.50	1,852	2
Steers	Medium and Large 3	450–500	475	322.50/cwt	322.50–322.50	1,532	1
Steers	Medium and Large 3	400–450	420	325.00/cwt	325.00–325.00	1,365	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2Value Added	450–500	480	280.00/cwt	280.00–280.00	1,344	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	445	425.00/cwt	425.00–425.00	1,891	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	350–400	390	430.00/cwt	430.00–430.00	1,677	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 3	500–550	535	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	1,605	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2Value Added	550–600	578	312.45/cwt	310.00–315.00	1,806	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	650–700	660	267.50/cwt	267.50–267.50	1,766	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	550–600	565	317.33/cwt	317.00–317.50	1,793	3
Steers	Medium and Large 2	650–700	650	302.50/cwt	302.50–302.50	1,966	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	600–650	606	307.50/cwt	307.50–307.50	1,863	2
Steers	Medium and Large 2	500–550	520	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	1,768	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	550–600	560	307.50/cwt	305.00–310.00	1,722	2
Steers	Medium and Large 2	700–750	700	225.00/cwt	225.00–225.00	1,575	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	300–350	325	404.77/cwt	400.00–410.00	1,316	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	425	360.00/cwt	360.00–360.00	1,530	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	700–750	708	249.96/cwt	240.00–260.00	1,770	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	650–700	657	274.95/cwt	270.00–285.00	1,806	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	500–550	520	310.07/cwt	300.00–320.00	1,612	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	488	347.98/cwt	320.00–362.50	1,698	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	775	275.00/cwt	275.00–275.00	2,131	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Value Added	600–650	630	310.00/cwt	310.00–310.00	1,953	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Value Added	850–900	875	240.00/cwt	240.00–240.00	2,100	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	750–800	765	200.00/cwt	200.00–200.00	1,530	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	600–650	618	302.45/cwt	300.00–305.00	1,869	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	500–550	545	325.00/cwt	325.00–325.00	1,771	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	250–300	250	480.00/cwt	480.00–480.00	1,200	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	574	343.78/cwt	340.00–345.00	1,973	4

How this sale compares

South Carolina weighted averages

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

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