Average Telecom & Data Wire Price

Blended rate: local Dover, Ohio prices + national trend. As of 11/3/2025.
$1.71/ lb -$0.45 (10.8%)
Use this as a baseline for negotiations. Always call local yards to confirm their rate for your load size.GT = Gross Ton (2240 lbs)
Avg: $1.71
Lowest price $1.45
Highest price$2.00Who pays the most? ⟶
How to read a yard's offer

The min/max range reflects a blended index (local + national data). Your local high may be lower.

  • Low (up to $1.45): Floor price, typically for small loads.
  • Mid ($1.71): A fair deal for standard quantities.
  • High ($2.00+): Top-dollar rate. Offered for large commercial loads or by the most competitive buyers.
52-week price range
Over the past year, prices ranged from $1.33 to $2.99.
Mar '25Jun '25Sep '25Dec '25Today
Market response to COMEX pricing
Spread vs. exchange (180-day avg): ~72.6% (-$3.85/lb). Typical spread for this grade: 40%–51%
⚠️ Local prices haven’t caught up with the exchange yet
Market snapshot
Stable market. Prices have held steady over the past 6 months.
Pricing verified from 1 live board rates today.

Telecom & Data Wire price reference for Dover, Ohio

Scrap yards in Dover, Ohio don’t always update their prices in real time. To give you a reliable current value, we use the U.S. national average ($1.76/lb). The secondary metals market tracks exchange moves consistently across the country. Use this national figure as your benchmark when negotiating with local yards. Telecom & Data Wire prices across the U.S. →

Where to Sell Telecom & Data Wire in Dover, OH

These are scrap yards in Dover, Ohio that recently updated Telecom & Data Wire prices in our database. Call them to lock in a quote. If your city isn't listed, use the National Index above as a bargaining reference with your nearest buyer.

💼 Scrap yard owners: Post your buy prices and get more customers
By price
By date
Updated 138 days ago

Speedie Recycling

Listed as: Cat 5/Cat 6 Wire 55%
7021 Eberhart Rd NW Get Directions
Today: 8-11AM
$1.45 / lb

Don’t see your scrap yard in Dover, Ohio? List it for free.

Hundreds of sellers in your area search for current scrap prices every day. Post your buy prices and start getting calls.

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How Telecom Wire Stacks Up Against Other Insulated Grades

The #1 rule at scrap yards: if you mix grades, they’ll weigh everything at the lowest rate. See the price gap below — if you have higher-value metal, always sort and weigh each grade separately to avoid leaving money on the table.

MCM & Industrial Cable Estimated prices in Ohio
Avg price:$4.10 / lb
Trend (30d): 0.0%
Price analytics
THHN Wire Estimated prices in Ohio
Avg price:$3.05 / lb
Trend (30d): 0.0%
Price analytics
#1 Insulated Wire Based on 1 scrap yards
Avg price:$2.40 / lb
Trend (30d): 0.0%
Price analytics
Romex® Wire Based on 1 scrap yards
Avg price:$2.15 / lb
Trend (30d): 0.0%
Price analytics
Wire Harnesses Based on 1 scrap yards
Avg price:$1.70 / lb
Trend (30d): 0.0%
Price analytics
#2 Insulated Wire Based on 1 scrap yards
Avg price:$1.20 / lb
Trend (30d): 0.0%
Price analytics
Jelly Wire Estimated U.S. prices
Avg price:$1.03 / lb
Trend (6m): +4.9%
Price analytics
Coax & Heliax Cable Based on 1 scrap yards
Avg price:$0.95 / lb
Trend (30d): 0.0%
Price analytics
#3 Insulated Wire (Low Grade) Based on 1 scrap yards
Avg price:$0.90 / lb
Trend (30d): 0.0%
Price analytics
Computer Wire Estimated prices in Ohio
Avg price:$0.75 / lb
Trend (30d): 0.0%
Price analytics
Armored Cable (BX) Based on 1 scrap yards
Avg price:$0.50 / lb
Trend (30d): 0.0%
Price analytics
Christmas Lights Based on 1 scrap yards
Avg price:$0.35 / lb
Trend (30d): 0.0%
Price analytics

Telecom & Data Wire Price Trends

This chart shows where the market is headed. If the line is climbing, prices are rising — you might get a better deal in a few days. If it’s dropping, don’t wait: sell today before yards lower their buy prices further.

Telecom & Data Wire: Scrap Yard Price vs. World Market (COMEX)

Avg scrap yard price

$1.71
Scrap metal dealers
Spread: -$3.85/lb
vs. exchange

World market price (COMEX)

$5.3003
✓ For 99.9% pure refined metal
💡 Why is the scrap yard price lower than the exchange? The COMEX price is the global benchmark for 99.99% pure refined metal traded in large institutional contracts. The gap between COMEX and what you pocket is the yard’s margin — it covers sorting, cleaning, transport to the mill, and protects them against sudden price drops.

Telecom & Data Wire: Spread vs. Exchange — Monthly History

Analyst take: This month’s average spread between scrap yard prices and the world market for Telecom & Data Wire is 72.6%. That’s in line with the typical range for this grade (70%–76%). Local yards are offering fair market rates. Check offers in your area ↑
PeriodWorld price (per lb)Scrap yard price (per lb)Spread vs. exchange
March 2026 (current)$5.764324$2.83-$2.94 (51%)
February 2026$5.880136$3.53-$2.35 (40%)
January 2026$5.894887$3.54-$2.36 (40%)
December 2025$5.497742$3.30-$2.20 (40%)
November 2025$5.064033$2.87-$2.20 (43.4%)
October 2025$5.050242$2.75-$2.30 (45.6%)
September 2025$4.662367$2.80-$1.87 (40%)
August 2025$4.477984$2.69-$1.79 (40%)
July 2025$5.482645$3.29-$2.19 (40%)
June 2025$4.883233$2.93-$1.95 (40%)
May 2025$4.686194$2.81-$1.87 (40%)
April 2025$4.654267$2.79-$1.86 (40%)
March 2025$5.13$3.08-$2.05 (40%)

Telecom & Data Wire Scrap Price History — Daily Data

A day-by-day market snapshot in exact numbers. Every day we aggregate buy prices from local scrap yards, recording the average, low, and high. Use this table to track real price movement over recent days.

DateAvg price (per lb)ChangeRange (Low/High)
11/3/2025$1.33 / lb— no change$1.20 - $1.45

Pulling Profit from the Walls: Scrapping Telecom & Data Wire

If you are pulling miles of Cat5, Cat6, or old telephone lines out of an office demo, you are sitting on a solid payday. Telecom and Data Wire is prized for its consistent, tightly twisted copper core. Because the insulation-to-copper ratio is usually better than generic household wire, yards are currently paying anywhere from $1.60 to $2.00 per pound based on the exact shielding and jacket thickness.

Sorting at the Scale: Don't Get Robbed on Recovery Rates

Sorting is everything in the scrap game. Telecom wire usually has a high copper recovery rate—often around 50% to 60%. If you get lazy and throw your premium Cat6 into a bin of generic #2 Insulated Wire, you are practically handing the yard your hard-earned cash. That simple sorting mistake costs you roughly $0.13 per pound right at the scale. Always keep your data lines separate from standard wall outlets or appliance cords.

Yard Pro Tip: Watch out for shielded twisted pair (STP) data cables and coax lines mixed in with your standard Cat5/Cat6 network wire. That aluminum foil shielding or steel core in coax will tank your recovery rate at the yard. Check the ends for a shiny foil layer or heavy plastic dividers, and keep the pure copper Ethernet separated from the shielded stuff to demand the highest telecom rate.

Knowing Your Wire Grades

For context, it is crucial to understand where data wire fits in the grand scheme of copper recovery. Thick, single-strand #1 Insulated Wire commands $2.40 to $3.90/lb due to its massive copper yield. Your standard #2 Insulated Wire sits around $1.65 to $2.27/lb, while junk cables like #3 Insulated Wire (Low Grade) barely pull $0.60 to $1.20/lb. Telecom wire hits that sweet spot of high volume and decent copper yield, especially when doing commercial IT demo in in Dover.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it worth stripping telecom and data wire?

Generally, no. The individual copper strands inside Cat5 or Cat6 are hair-thin (typically 23 or 24 AWG). Running this through a standard wire stripper is a nightmare, practically impossible, and a massive waste of time. You are better off selling it as-is for the current $1.76 average rate.

How do yards determine the price for data wire?

It all comes down to the copper recovery percentage. Buyers look at the COMEX copper spot price and calculate how much clean copper they can extract after chopping and separating the plastic jackets. They typically pay about 72.6% below the spot price to cover their processing and shipping costs.

Does leaving the RJ45 connectors on lower the price?

Yes, depending on the yard's strictness. Those plastic and brass plugs add dead weight and lower the overall copper percentage of the bin. If you have hundreds of pounds of wire, taking a pair of loppers and snipping the ends off can bump you from the $1.60 floor closer to premium pricing.