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500–600 lb steer prices this week

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

MARKET REPORT - WEEK OF AUGUST 17, 2026

By state this week

StateAvg price ($/cwt)On (head)
Alabama$380.0917
Arkansas$402.1533
Florida$363.22117
Georgia$366.099
Missouri$423.18164
Mississippi$382.4035
Montana$405.836
North Carolina$391.0773
Nebraska$454.5765
New Mexico$399.48106
Oklahoma$411.18511
South Carolina$358.0822
Tennessee$389.1656
Texas$388.25203
Utah$416.7671
Virginia$424.8273

Recent weeks

$403$409$414$420$425$405August 9, 2026: $424August 16, 2026: $404August 23, 2026: $405
500–600 lb M&L 1 steers, national head-weighted average by week.

Common questions

How much is a 550 lb steer worth right now?

At this week's national sale barn average of $403.83/cwt, a 550 lb Medium & Large 1 steer brings about $2,221 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 500-600 lb Medium & Large 1 steer line in the USDA reports of our 81 tracked barns, weighted by the head count of each line. Small, untested runs move the number less than big runs, by design.

Other classes: 400–500 lb · 600–700 lb · 700–800 lb · 800–900 lb · all weights · cull cows

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