USDA auction weighted averages · $/cwt · week of Sep 28 – Oct 4
The national ladder — steers
75,107 head · 179 barns
Every USDA-reported auction · Week of Sep 28 · change vs week of Sep 21 · year-ago vs week of Sep 29, 2025
Weight
$/cwt
vs prior week
vs year ago
$/head
Head
Barns
300–400 lb
515.03
+1.01
+10.00
—
3,854
163
400–500 lb
462.19
+1.32
−3.73
2,080
10,712
175
500–600 lb
414.98
+9.57
−7.67
2,282
17,467
179
600–700 lb
366.55
+2.93
−24.01
2,383
12,280
171
700–800 lb
344.10
−2.64
−27.14
2,581
8,528
161
800–900 lb
333.11
−1.92
−23.54
2,831
10,078
114
900 lb +
315.22
−0.25
−24.06
—
12,188
88
$/cwt, head and barn counts are USDA as filed USDA. $/cwt is USDA's weighted average of every reported lot. $/head is that price applied to the midpoint of the weight range Derived, blank on 300–400 and 900 lb + because both are open-ended and USDA publishes no average weight to use instead.
The national ladder — heifers
57,961 head
Every USDA-reported auction · Week of Sep 28 · change vs week of Sep 21 · year-ago vs week of Sep 29, 2025
Weight
$/cwt
vs prior week
vs year ago
$/head
Head
Barns
300–400 lb
440.42
−1.41
+10.46
—
5,458
173
400–500 lb
398.19
−2.68
−2.79
1,792
11,491
179
500–600 lb
352.96
−3.14
−15.95
1,941
12,503
179
600–700 lb
332.28
−1.80
−17.67
2,160
8,306
175
700–800 lb
323.40
−4.56
−15.88
2,426
6,291
152
800–900 lb
311.36
−2.76
−21.17
2,647
6,351
104
900 lb +
296.07
+6.92
−14.46
—
7,561
67
$/cwt, head and barn counts are USDA as filed USDA. $/cwt is USDA's weighted average of every reported lot. $/head is that price applied to the midpoint of the weight range Derived, blank on 300–400 and 900 lb + because both are open-ended and USDA publishes no average weight to use instead.
By region
Steers · head reported
USDA files three regions and they sum to the national count exactly. We check that rather than assume it — showing regions beside a national figure that already contained them is the double-count hard rule 3 exists to prevent.
The West is Utah and Washington only, and is not a peer of the other two. Over the last 52 weeks it averages 123 head a cell against the Plains' 4,447 and the Cornbelt+SE's 4,079, so most of its classes fall below the 50-head floor and are not quoted. Treat it as a thin market, not a third of the country.
The year-ago column compares the same weight class in both years, so it can be read down the table. Switch the class above and the whole column moves with it — South Dakota and Nebraska sell heavy and populate on 800–900 lb and 900 lb +.
A blank means the class did not reach 50 head, not that it did not trade; the head count is still shown. For the states in the last group the year-ago gap is a true year, but both ends are old — each row names its own week. Source: USDA AMS.
About these figures
Every price is a weighted average — SUM(price × head) ÷ SUM(head) — over the lots USDA reported in that market that week, and every one names the week it came from. A class carrying fewer than 50head shows its head count and no price, because a handful of head is arithmetic rather than a market. Weight classes are USDA's own: 300–400 lb, 400–500 lb, 500–600 lb, 600–700 lb, 700–800 lb, 800–900 lb, 900 lb +. Source: USDA AMS. This is RaisedBeef's rendering of that data, not a copy of USDA's reports and not endorsed by USDA.