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400–500 lb steer prices this week

National sale barn average, head-weighted, from USDA reports

MARKET REPORT - WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 28, 2026

By state this week

StateAvg price ($/cwt)On (head)
Alabama$449.4723
Arkansas$435.99147
Florida$438.94146
Georgia$432.84134
Iowa$498.38123
Indiana$422.1954
Kansas$440.77137
Missouri$463.48623
Mississippi$454.0995
Montana$476.6097
North Carolina$412.9652
North Dakota$495.60386
Nebraska$518.691,642
New Mexico$466.1887
Oklahoma$451.261,228
South Carolina$414.1338
South Dakota$510.88715
Tennessee$417.89150
Texas$435.3895
Utah$472.16175
Virginia$416.01127
West Virginia$420.1517
Wyoming$520.59334

Recent weeks

$422$437$452$467$482Sep 2026$479August 9, 2026: $451August 16, 2026: $467August 23, 2026: $452August 30, 2026: $431September 6, 2026: $426September 13, 2026: $461September 20, 2026: $463September 27, 2026: $470October 4, 2026: $479
400–500 lb M&L 1 steers, national head-weighted average by week.

Common questions

How much is a 450 lb steer worth right now?

At this week's national sale barn average of $479.97/cwt, a 450 lb Medium & Large 1 steer brings about $2,160 before commission and yardage. Your local barn's average may differ; check the state table on this page.

Why do lighter cattle bring more per pound?

Because the buyer is paying for the pounds still to be added: a 450 lb calf has more cheap gain ahead of it than an 850 lb feeder. Price per cwt slides down as weight goes up even while total dollars per head go up.

What is this average based on?

Every 400-500 lb Medium & Large 1 steer line in the USDA reports of our 242 tracked barns, weighted by the head count of each line. Small, untested runs move the number less than big runs, by design.

Other classes: 500–600 lb · 600–700 lb · 700–800 lb · 800–900 lb · all weights · cull cows

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