Scrap markets by U.S. metro
Metros are where the rubber meets the road for sellers. Within a single state, yard density and pricing norms can vary widely between metros — Chicago looks different from Peoria, Houston looks different from El Paso, and the New York metro looks nothing like upstate. Metro pages drill into who's buying, what they're paying, and what local hours and regulations to expect inside a given market.
What this category covers
- Per-metro market profile — yard count, dominant grades, mill or export access
- Major operators — yards that dominate volume in each market
- Drop-off vs. pickup norms — what's standard in each metro
- Local pricing notes — typical intra-metro spread and payout share
How a metro-level scrap profile reads
| Section | Content |
|---|---|
| Market overview | Yard count, dominant grades, mill or export access |
| Major operators | Top yards by scale and reputation |
| Drop-off culture | Hours, queue times, walk-in vs. account |
| Regulation snapshot | State + city overlay |
| Typical payout share | Vs. national spot |
| Notable yards | Yards worth profiling individually |
| Sources | Citations |
High-volume metro markets
The metro markets with the largest scrap volumes and the most pronounced local quirks:
- Houston, TX — Gulf Coast export; petrochemical and oil-and-gas scrap; heavy CMC presence
- Dallas–Fort Worth, TX — rapid growth; multiple major operators; CMC's Texas mill cluster
- Chicago, IL — Rust Belt density; converter-theft enforcement layered over urban yard count
- Los Angeles, CA — coastal export via LA/Long Beach; strict California Cash for Junk regime
- New York City metro — converter restrictions; NY/NJ ports anchor Turkish ferrous-export bid
- Atlanta, GA — Southeast hub; rising Nucor/SDI EAF capacity in the region
- Detroit, MI — auto teardown capital; ferrous-heavy with strong non-ferrous from end-of-life vehicles
- Phoenix, AZ — copper mining adjacency lifts copper-grade demand; long drives outside the metro
- Philadelphia, PA — Northeast corridor; mill access via the Lehigh Valley and beyond
- Pittsburgh, PA — ferrous heritage; integrated-mill adjacency
- Cleveland, OH — Cleveland-Cliffs and EAF mill density; one of the strongest ferrous bids in the country
- Miami, FL — Caribbean and Latin American export gateway
- Seattle, WA — Pacific export via Tacoma; strict Washington dealer rules
- Denver, CO — Mountain West aggregation point; freight-bound to coastal/mill regions
- Minneapolis–St. Paul, MN — Upper Midwest hub; converter laws and cold-weather seasonality
Mapping metros to mills
The fastest way to predict metro pricing is to look at mill proximity. A few representative linkages:
| Metro | Closest mill cluster | Effect on pricing |
|---|---|---|
| Cleveland | Cleveland-Cliffs, Nucor | Higher ferrous payouts |
| Indianapolis | SDI, OmniSource HQ | Strong ferrous bid |
| Houston | Gulf Coast EAF + export | Mixed, freight-favored |
| Phoenix | Long haul to mills | Lower ferrous, higher copper |
For the upstream context, see Industry Guide → Mills & Markets.
Frequently asked questions
How much do scrap prices vary between yards in the same metro?
10–20% on the same copper grade between two yards 8 miles apart is normal. Metros with three or more competing yards within a 20-mile radius generally show tighter spreads than single-yard rural markets. Calling two or three before driving routinely pays for the gas to reach the better-paying yard.
Why do metros within the same state pay differently?
Mill proximity, port access, and local competition drive the gap. A metro 30 miles from an EAF mill has shorter outbound freight than one 300 miles away, and that freight cost comes out of the per-pound price. Coastal metros (LA, Houston, Newark) compete with international export demand and pay closer to spot on non-ferrous than inland metros.
How do metro pages relate to state pages?
State pages cover regulation and broad market shape; metro pages drill into the day-to-day of selling in a specific city — yard hours, queue patterns, dominant operators. The two are complementary.
Related
- Local Guide hub — full local index
- By State — state-level companion to metro pages
- Near Me — directory finders
- Regional Quirks — geography effects on payouts
- Industry Guide → Vendors — major operators active in these metros
- Industry Guide → Mills & Markets — mill clusters that anchor metro prices
- Selling Guide → Pricing — phone-around tactics for metro shopping
- Copper price — national anchor for metro pricing comparison