Name: Preston Farmers Market livestock auction prices — 2026-09-30
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-09-30

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Nice offering of 95%+ black hided cattle. Active trade among local farmer/feeders.

Weight class

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb steers averaged $376.58/cwt on 118 head, down $97.83 from the prior sale. That ranks 1 of 2 comparable sales and sits −48.92 against this barn's trailing median of $425.50.

Average price

$376.58

▼ 97.83 vs prior sale

118 head · 553 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,084

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$199

per head · Medium 1 over Medium and Large 2

$20.33/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−3.88

vs WV average

−38.40 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium 1	554	380.33	2,108	70
Large 1	557	373.35	2,078	40
Medium and Large 2	530	360.00	1,909	8thin

One grade step is worth $20.33/cwt here — about $199 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.

How it compared 500–600 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only

This sale118 hd

376.58

—

WV average5 barns · 245 hd

380.47

−3.88

National average179 barns · 17,467 hd

414.98

−38.40

This barn, trailing median2 sales

425.50

−48.92

A barn can sit above the state average at one weight and below it at another — check the class you actually sell.

Every lot, as filed

59 lots · USDA AMS · Preston Farmers Market Special Graded Sale - Terra Alta, WV

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	Large 1	600–650	626	343.83/cwt	325.00–345.00	2,152	17
Steers	Large 1	400–450	432	438.56/cwt	435.00–440.00	1,895	7
Heifers	Large 1	500–550	527	339.00/cwt	339.00–339.00	1,787	8
Steers	Large 1	650–700	675	317.70/cwt	317.50–320.00	2,144	13
Steers	Large 1	450–500	472	407.00/cwt	407.00–407.00	1,921	7
Steers	Large 1	550–600	579	361.00/cwt	361.00–361.00	2,090	21
Bulls	Medium 1	450–500	460	425.00/cwt	425.00–425.00	1,955	16
Bulls	Medium 1	500–550	509	337.50/cwt	337.50–337.50	1,718	9
Bulls	Medium 1	350–400	381	435.00/cwt	435.00–435.00	1,657	5
Heifers	Large 1	550–600	580	333.00/cwt	333.00–333.00	1,931	12
Steers	Large 1	500–550	532	387.00/cwt	387.00–387.00	2,059	19
Heifers	Large 1	600–650	630	317.50/cwt	317.50–317.50	2,000	2
Heifers	Medium 1	400–450	433	378.00/cwt	378.00–378.00	1,637	21
Steers	Medium 1	700–750	745	275.00/cwt	275.00–275.00	2,049	3
Steers	Medium 1	800–850	808	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	2,586	4
Steers	Medium 1	500–550	530	402.00/cwt	402.00–402.00	2,131	33
Steers	Medium 1	600–650	620	357.50/cwt	357.50–357.50	2,217	19
Steers	Medium 1	400–450	435	440.00/cwt	440.00–440.00	1,914	8
Steers	Medium 1	750–800	750	275.00/cwt	275.00–275.00	2,063	9
Steers	Medium 1	650–700	668	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	2,138	3
Steers	Medium 1	550–600	576	361.00/cwt	361.00–361.00	2,079	37
Steers	Medium 1	450–500	478	402.00/cwt	402.00–402.00	1,922	35
Heifers	Medium 1	350–400	382	401.53/cwt	365.00–405.00	1,534	11
Steers	Medium 1	350–400	384	435.00/cwt	435.00–435.00	1,670	5
Heifers	Medium 1	450–500	481	342.50/cwt	342.50–342.50	1,647	44
Heifers	Medium 1	650–700	665	310.00/cwt	310.00–310.00	2,062	5
Heifers	Medium 1	500–550	528	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	1,795	39
Heifers	Medium 1	750–800	754	282.77/cwt	265.00–290.00	2,132	7
Heifers	Medium 1	550–600	573	335.00/cwt	335.00–335.00	1,920	20
Steers	Medium 1	300–350	318	445.00/cwt	445.00–445.00	1,415	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	300–350	305	445.00/cwt	445.00–445.00	1,357	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	250–300	280	400.00/cwt	400.00–400.00	1,120	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	300–350	344	425.00/cwt	425.00–425.00	1,462	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	412	410.00/cwt	410.00–410.00	1,689	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	483	400.00/cwt	400.00–400.00	1,932	4
Heifers	Medium 1	600–650	633	315.00/cwt	315.00–315.00	1,994	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	650–700	668	302.50/cwt	302.50–302.50	2,021	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	474	327.50/cwt	327.50–327.50	1,552	18
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	420	375.00/cwt	375.00–375.00	1,575	16
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	300–350	334	390.00/cwt	390.00–390.00	1,303	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	500–550	528	323.32/cwt	322.50–330.00	1,707	18
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	550–600	568	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	1,704	3
Steers	Medium and Large 2	650–700	670	275.00/cwt	275.00–275.00	1,843	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	350–400	386	402.50/cwt	402.50–402.50	1,554	8
Steers	Medium and Large 2	550–600	555	345.00/cwt	345.00–345.00	1,915	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	350–400	363	435.00/cwt	435.00–435.00	1,579	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	600–650	630	275.00/cwt	275.00–275.00	1,733	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	550–600	564	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	1,692	5
Steers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	478	405.00/cwt	405.00–405.00	1,936	10
Steers	Medium and Large 2	600–650	625	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	2,000	4
Steers	Medium and Large 2	350–400	380	445.00/cwt	445.00–445.00	1,691	19
Steers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	427	430.00/cwt	430.00–430.00	1,836	15
Steers	Medium and Large 2	500–550	522	365.00/cwt	365.00–365.00	1,905	6
Heifers	Large 1	450–500	479	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	1,629	6
Heifers	Large 1	400–450	438	379.00/cwt	379.00–379.00	1,660	4
Heifers	Large 1	650–700	675	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	2,025	2
Heifers	Large 1	700–750	705	265.00/cwt	265.00–265.00	1,868	1
Heifers	Large 1	300–350	328	390.00/cwt	390.00–390.00	1,279	2
Heifers	Large 1	350–400	395	405.00/cwt	405.00–405.00	1,600	1

How this sale compares

West Virginia weighted averages

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

West Virginia feeder prices, every weight →Every state and region →