Name: Saluda Stockyards livestock auction prices — 2026-09-21
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-09-21

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

No comparisons made due to limited comparable sales. Active buyer participation on light offering of cattle.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $316.88/cwt on 4 head, up $6.98 from the prior sale. That ranks 6 of 18 comparable sales and sits −35.83 against this barn's trailing median of $352.71.

Average price

$316.88

▲ 6.98 vs prior sale

4 head · 530 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,680

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$262

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

$77.51/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+0.41

vs SC average

−39.74 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	513	337.51	1,731	2thin
Medium and Large 2	530	332.50	1,762	1thin
Medium and Large 3	565	260.00	1,469	1thin

One grade step is worth $77.51/cwt here — about $262 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 300–400 lb. USDA reports each grade on its own line and never publishes the spread.

This barn's trailing prices 500–600 lb

18 sales

Heifers 500–600 lb: high $404.13, low $279.94, median $352.71 across 18 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 sale4 hd

316.88

—

SC average6 barns · 119 hd

316.47

+0.41

National average176 barns · 11,703 hd

356.62

−39.74

This barn, trailing median18 sales

352.71

−35.83

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	—	Average	1,578	162.73	2,568	2thin
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,003	114.07	1,144	5thin

Every lot, as filed

37 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
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	972	110.39/cwt	104.00–115.00	1,073	3
Bulls	—	—	1,578	162.73/cwt	155.00–170.00	2,568	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,050	119.60/cwt	110.00–131.00	1,256	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	350–400	390	440.00/cwt	440.00–440.00	1,716	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	300–350	325	465.00/cwt	465.00–465.00	1,511	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	627	330.83/cwt	330.00–332.50	2,074	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	650–700	650	315.00/cwt	315.00–315.00	2,048	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2Fleshy	400–450	438	327.54/cwt	325.00–330.00	1,435	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 2Fleshy	550–600	585	290.00/cwt	290.00–290.00	1,697	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	618	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	1,854	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	500–550	515	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	1,803	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	452	375.00/cwt	375.00–375.00	1,695	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	450–500	473	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	1,750	2
Steers	Medium and Large 2	700–750	705	305.00/cwt	305.00–305.00	2,150	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	500–550	530	332.50/cwt	332.50–332.50	1,762	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	720	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	2,304	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	513	337.51/cwt	335.00–340.00	1,731	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	373	415.07/cwt	405.00–425.00	1,548	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	810	305.00/cwt	305.00–305.00	2,471	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	350–400	375	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	1,200	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	550–600	565	260.00/cwt	260.00–260.00	1,469	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	650–700	683	310.00/cwt	310.00–310.00	2,117	2
Steers	Medium and Large 2	550–600	588	329.96/cwt	320.00–340.00	1,940	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	450–500	495	355.00/cwt	355.00–355.00	1,757	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	300–350	305	400.00/cwt	400.00–400.00	1,220	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 3	500–550	540	315.00/cwt	315.00–315.00	1,701	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	650–700	685	280.00/cwt	280.00–280.00	1,918	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	300–350	315	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	1,166	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	433	359.71/cwt	350.00–370.00	1,558	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	600–650	612	310.00/cwt	310.00–310.00	1,897	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	415	407.44/cwt	405.00–410.00	1,691	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	350–400	395	400.00/cwt	400.00–400.00	1,580	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	400–450	410	360.00/cwt	360.00–360.00	1,476	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	540	365.00/cwt	365.00–365.00	1,971	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	561	368.68/cwt	365.00–375.00	2,068	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 3	450–500	470	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	1,175	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 3	550–600	555	310.00/cwt	310.00–310.00	1,721	1

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 →