Cattle Market Pulse

Knoxville Livestock Center Market Report

Knoxville, Tennessee · USDA-reported Auction Livestock · usually sells Tuesdays

Sale of Tuesday, July 21, 2026

743 head sold ·Official USDA report · Past reports (259)

light 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $384.61/cwt -22.01 vs last sale · ≈ $1,989/hd at 517 lb · 38 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $408.38/cwt -18.21 vs last sale · ≈ $1,928/hd at 472 lb · 32 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1 bulls $415.65/cwt -7.86 vs last sale · ≈ $1,962/hd at 472 lb · 29 head
Knoxville, TN 5-weight heifers sold at $375/cwt, running $7/cwt below the TN average ($382) and $13/cwt under Trenton, TN ($388). The class is down $28/cwt from its late-June peak of $399. What this means — computed from this report and its neighbors

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 743 1,208 1,103
Feeder cattle 608 1,085 990
Slaughter cattle 103 89 81
Replacement cattle 32 34 32

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week, feeder steers sold steady to 15.00 lower, with feeder heifers 5.00 to 20.00 lower and feeder bulls 5.00 to 40.00 lower. Decline in feeder cattle prices due to continued downturn in the futures market and lighter demand due to extreme heat. Regarding slaughter classes- breaker and boning cows sold 3.00 to 6.00 lower, with lean cows steady and bulls 1.00 lower.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
305 thin fleshed 305 1 600.00 $600.00 $1,830 —
385–395 390 2 475.00–530.00 $502.15 $1,958 -12.85
405 fancy 405 6 525.00 $525.00 $2,126 —
403–435 415 5 460.00–495.00 $470.45 $1,952 -34.43
477–490 479 9 420.00–450.00 $429.24 $2,056 -40.71
507 507 4 435.00 $435.00 $2,205 -11.51
550–595 579 7 395.00–415.00 $405.81 $2,350 -19.39
586 value added 586 8 430.00 $430.00 $2,520 -6.10
605–640 626 13 350.00–390.00 $368.42 $2,306 -13.01
655 655 1 380.00 $380.00 $2,489 +11.91
719 value added 719 5 355.00 $355.00 $2,552 -8.75
727–735 728 14 330.00–343.00 $341.13 $2,483 +16.13
750 750 1 315.00 $315.00 $2,362 -37.06
762–771 value added 766 7 340.00–350.00 $344.31 $2,637 -22.61
876 value added 876 3 327.50 $327.50 $2,869 -12.50
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
380 380 1 400.00 $400.00 $1,520 -85.00

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
278–280 279 4 445.00–450.00 $446.26 $1,245 —
285 285 1 425.00 $425.00 $1,211 —
310–340 324 4 435.00–450.00 $443.67 $1,437 -48.65
350–398 379 19 425.00–455.00 $433.89 $1,644 +11.31
380–390 387 3 415.00 $415.00 $1,606 -7.58
400–447 422 22 405.00–435.00 $417.87 $1,763 -14.05
450–490 472 32 400.00–415.00 $408.38 $1,928 -14.34
508 value added 508 10 405.00 $405.00 $2,057 -18.28
500–548 520 25 372.50–390.00 $379.82 $1,975 -14.90
500–540 525 3 350.00–360.00 $356.57 $1,872 -38.15
550–595 564 25 352.50–380.00 $363.79 $2,052 -10.38
575–590 583 2 345.00 $345.00 $2,011 -29.17
610–615 612 3 335.00–342.00 $339.65 $2,079 -11.38
636 value added 636 19 350.00 $350.00 $2,226 —
650 650 3 337.50 $337.50 $2,194 +1.38
717 717 2 307.00 $307.00 $2,201 -18.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
350–395 377 3 400.00 $400.00 $1,508 —
435 435 1 395.00 $395.00 $1,718 —
470 470 1 385.00 $385.00 $1,810 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
276 276 4 540.00 $540.00 $1,490 —
310–345 325 4 470.00–520.00 $488.00 $1,586 -39.08
351–395 369 19 465.00–505.00 $482.66 $1,781 -36.67
385–390 388 2 445.00–450.00 $447.52 $1,736 -32.48
400–435 415 14 440.00–485.00 $465.52 $1,932 +2.53
430 thin fleshed 430 1 495.00 $495.00 $2,128 —
450–495 472 29 400.00–435.00 $415.65 $1,962 -12.56
505–545 528 8 370.00–390.00 $378.74 $2,000 -9.71
565–587 578 5 370.00–390.00 $377.89 $2,184 -11.25
570–595 585 3 345.00–355.00 $350.07 $2,048 -39.07
600 600 1 320.00 $320.00 $1,920 -42.00
610–639 633 18 350.00–360.00 $354.48 $2,244 +19.48
665–695 686 8 300.00–330.00 $311.34 $2,136 -38.18
710–745 729 4 270.00–290.00 $281.44 $2,052 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
405–435 420 4 400.00 $400.00 $1,680 -26.71
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1375 1375 Young (2-4 yrs)N/A 1 3,500.00 $3,500.00 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1105–1285 1195 80-85% 2 175.00 $175.00 $2,091 —
970–1440 1219 80-85% 27 178.00–191.50 $185.22 $2,258 -3.10
880–1610 1231 80-85% 4 193.00–210.00 $199.06 $2,450 +25.06
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1220–1595 1408 75-80% 2 173.50–174.50 $174.07 $2,451 -33.08
1225–1605 1427 75-80% 14 176.50–190.00 $182.79 $2,608 -24.36
1600 1600 75-80% 1 204.00 $204.00 $3,264 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
775–1205 982 85-90% 10 164.00–177.00 $169.53 $1,665 —
960–1020 990 85-90% 2 154.00–159.00 $156.58 $1,550 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1280–2110 1711 17 216.00–235.00 $225.81 $3,864 —
1780–1860 1820 2 244.00–251.00 $247.58 $4,506 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
815–1075 945 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 2 2,400.00–2,450.00 $2,421.56
995 995 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 2,275.00 $2,275.00
1095–1335 1233 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 4 2,750.00–3,550.00 $3,061.82
1150–1625 1388 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 3 3,250.00–3,950.00 $3,542.14
1425 1425 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 2,800.00 $2,800.00
1435 1435 Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 2,500.00 $2,500.00
1585 1585 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 2,800.00 $2,800.00
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1005 1005 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 2,150.00 $2,150.00

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
815–845 830 (<2 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 2,350.00–2,500.00 $2,426.36

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
— — Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 3,700.00 $3,700.00 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
— — Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 3,100.00 $3,100.00 —

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Price trend

high 490.21 low 338.03 Jul 2025 Jul 2026

550–599 lb Medium and Large 1 steers — head-weighted average $/cwt by sale date, last 12 months.

Reading this report

What does "Medium and Large 1" mean?

USDA feeder grades describe frame size and muscle thickness, not quality of the individual animal. "Medium and Large" is the frame score; the number is muscle (1 = heaviest muscled). "Medium and Large 1–2" pens mix both muscle scores — common across the Southeast.

What is $/cwt?

Dollars per hundredweight — per 100 lb of animal. A 500-lb calf at $450/cwt brings 5 × $450 = $2,250. Lighter cattle usually bring more per cwt but less per head.

Why are some prices per head?

Bred cows, cow-calf pairs, and some replacement classes sell by the head, not by weight. We show those exactly as USDA reports them — a $/head figure is never converted into $/cwt on this site.

Where do these numbers come from?

From the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service's Livestock Market News — federal reporters at the sale. We publish each report in full and link the official USDA document at the top of the page.

← Previous sale (Jul 14, 2026)

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