OnlyFans has become one of the most talked-about platforms in the digital economy. From celebrity headlines to TikTok side-hustle advice, it’s often framed as a fast track to financial freedom.
But how much are Americans actually spending on OnlyFans? And what does that spending mean—for consumers, relationships, and the young people watching from the sidelines?
A recent report offers fresh insight into U.S. OnlyFans spending trends and while the numbers are eye-opening, the implications are even more significant.
How Much Are Americans Spending on OnlyFans in 2025?
According to a new report by OnlyGuider, Americans are spending hundreds of millions of dollars annually on OnlyFans subscriptions and content purchases, with significant variation by state and city. The report found that certain states, particularly larger and more urbanized ones, lead the nation in overall OnlyFans spendingNexstar Media Wire. (2025). How much are Americans spending on OnlyFans?Copy .
The OnlyGuider analysis further breaks down spending by state and metro area, estimating that major cities such as New York, Los Angeles, and Miami account for some of the highest subscription expenditures in the country, and collectively spend the most. .
What’s interesting is the top spending states per capita are Washington D.C, North Dakota, Nevada, Colorado, and Illinois. The top cities spending the most, Atlanta, Orlando, and Salt Lake City.
The total market spend on Only Fans was $2.63 Billion and the national average spend per 10 K population was $77, 334.
Globally, OnlyFans has reported more than 200 million registered users and over 2 million content creators, generating billions in gross revenue in recent years (OnlyFans, 2023). In 2022 alone, the platform reported more than $5.5 billion in gross payments processed through the site OnlyFans. (2023). Annual financial statements.Copy .
That’s not niche spending. That’s mainstream.
And while OnlyFans hosts a range of creators, from fitness coaches to musicians, multiple analyses indicate that the platform’s revenue is overwhelmingly driven by sexually explicit contentBernstein Research. (2021). OnlyFans platform analysis report., Financial Times. (2021). OnlyFans: Who, what, why?Copy
OnlyFans Is Primarily Porn
OnlyFans is frequently described as a subscription-based content platform. In practice, research and financial reporting consistently identify it as a dominant player in the online pornography industry.
Industry analyses have found that the vast majority of high-earning accounts on OnlyFans produce explicit sexual content, and the platform’s explosive growth during the COVID-19 pandemic was largely fueled by adult material Bernstein Research. (2021). OnlyFans platform analysis report., Financial Times. (2021). OnlyFans: Who, what, why?Copy .
While some of top creators on OnlyFans are musicians, celebrities, or even chefs, the majority of OnlyFans revenue is generated from sexually explicit content.
Why does that matter?
Because decades of research show that consuming pornography can influence mental health, relationships, sexual expectations, and even brain function. Even if the creator is creating their own content and managing their own account, when they’re creating pornographic content, they are fueling exploitation.
Any type of pornography consumption is problematic and tied to negative effects, even content on OnlyFans.
Research shows that pornography consumption is associated with higher rates of depression, anxiety, loneliness, and can be a major factor in relationship decline, erectile dysfunction, and relationship satisfaction. It fuels dangerous attitudes, including normalizing objectification and sexual violence, and ignores consent and fuels sex trafficking.
And while studies primarily describe mainstream pornography or internet porn, accessing porn through OnlyFans is no different. Porn is porn.
Not to mention, OnlyFans has faced its fair share of complaints for hosting CSAM (Child Sexual Abuse Material) and nonconsensual content, and even monetizing trafficking victims.
When millions of Americans are spending significant amounts of money on subscription-based pornography, it raises important public health questions, not moral panic, but evidence-based concern.
The Hidden Costs Behind the Paywall
OnlyFans differs from traditional porn sites in one key way: it monetizes perceived intimacy and connection.
Subscribers don’t just watch videos. They message creators. They tip for custom content. They unlock pay-per-view messages. The design mimics a personal connection.
Research on parasocial relationships, one-sided emotional bonds formed with media figures, shows that consumers can develop feelings of closeness and attachment to personalities who do not know them personallyTukachinsky, R., & Stever, G. (2019). The parasocial relationship scale. Communication Methods and Measures, 13(2), 107–125.Copy . When those dynamics are combined with sexual content and financial exchange, the emotional stakes can increase.
And that’s compounded when we see that research consistently links problematic pornography use with increased loneliness, depression, and lower life satisfaction Harper, C., & Hodgins, D. C. (2016). Examining correlates of problematic internet pornography use among university students. Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 5(2), 179–191.Copy .
A longitudinal study found a bidirectional association between pornography use and loneliness, meaning individuals who viewed more pornography were more likely to experience loneliness over time, and those who felt lonelier were more likely to increase pornography consumptionButler, M. H., Pereyra, S. A., Draper, T. W., Leonhardt, N. D., & Skinner, K. B. (2018). Pornography use and loneliness: A bidirectional recursive model and pilot investigation. Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy, 44(2), 127–137.Copy .
Platforms built around paid sexual content do not exist in a vacuum. They operate within the same psychological and neurological frameworks documented in broader pornography research.
“Easy Money”? What Young People See—and What They Don’t
Scroll through social media, and you’ll likely find influencers highlighting top OnlyFans earners making six or seven figures per month. Sophie Rain, Piper Rockelle, Lil Tay. The message is subtle but powerful: OnlyFans is fast, flexible, and lucrative.
However, industry reports indicate that income on OnlyFans is highly concentrated. One analysis found that the top 1% of creators earn a disproportionate share of total revenue, while the majority earn far less than viral headlines suggestXSRUS. (2022). OnlyFans statistics: How much creators really earn on OnlyFans. XSRUS. https://xsrus.com/the-economy-of-onlyfansCopy .
Financial analysts have similarly reported that median earnings for creators are significantly lower than the platform’s highest-profile success stories implyBernstein Research. (2021). OnlyFans platform analysis report.Copy .
At the same time, research shows that adolescents and young adults are highly influenced by perceived social norms and economic opportunity signals seen onlinePrinstein, M. J., & Giletta, M. (2016). Peer influence in adolescence. Current Opinion in Psychology, 7, 89–94.Copy . When young people repeatedly encounter narratives framing adult content creation as empowering and lucrative, it can shape career perceptions.
Yet former performers have described significant psychological distress, coercion, and long-term consequences associated with participation in the commercial sex industry.
While OnlyFans markets itself as creator-controlled, the permanence of digital content presents ongoing risks. Research on image-based sexual exploitation demonstrates that once explicit material is online, removal is often difficult and long-term reputational and psychological harm can occurWalker, K., & Sleath, E. (2017). Revenge pornography. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 36, 9–24.Copy .
For teens and young adults evaluating their future, the “highlight reel” of top earners rarely reflects the broader reality.
What The Numbers Really Tell Us
The new reports on U.S. OnlyFans spending show that Americans are investing substantial money into subscription-based adult content.
Those numbers signal more than consumer preference. They reflect cultural normalization.
When paid pornography becomes a routine budget item, it shapes expectations about intimacy, connection, and sexuality. Research indicates that pornography consumption is associated with increased sexual objectification and reduced empathy toward partnersMikorski, R., & Szymanski, D. M. (2017). Masculine norms and pornography consumption. Psychology of Men & Masculinity, 18(4), 257–267., Skorska, M. N., Hodson, G., & Hoffarth, M. R. (2018). Experimental effects of degrading versus erotic pornography exposure. Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 27, 261–276.Copy .
At the same time, the U.S. Surgeon General has identified loneliness and social isolation as significant public health concerns in the United StatesU.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2023). Our epidemic of loneliness and isolation.Copy . Platforms that monetize simulated intimacy exist within that broader context.
The conversation isn’t about shaming consumers. It’s about understanding impact.
A Bigger Question Than Dollars
Yes, Americans are spending significant amounts on OnlyFans.
But the deeper question isn’t just how much. It’s why.
Why are millions of people paying for digital sexual content?
What needs are being met—or replaced?
And what happens when a generation sees explicit content creation framed as the most accessible path to financial success?
Evidence-based research continues to show that pornography affects consumers, relationships, and broader cultural norms.
Spending data tells part of the story. The human impact tells the rest.
If you or someone you know is struggling with unwanted pornography use, research-backed recovery tools and supportive communities exist, like Relay. Change is possible, and seeking support is a powerful first step.
Join us as we fight for real love, human connection and a world free of exploitation.
Your Support Matters Now More Than Ever
Most kids today are exposed to porn by the age of 12. By the time they’re teenagers, 75% of boys and 70% of girls have already viewed itRobb, M.B., & Mann, S. (2023). Teens and pornography. San Francisco, CA: Common Sense.Copy —often before they’ve had a single healthy conversation about it.
Even more concerning: over half of boys and nearly 40% of girls believe porn is a realistic depiction of sexMartellozzo, E., Monaghan, A., Adler, J. R., Davidson, J., Leyva, R., & Horvath, M. A. H. (2016). “I wasn’t sure it was normal to watch it”: A quantitative and qualitative examination of the impact of online pornography on the values, attitudes, beliefs and behaviours of children and young people. Middlesex University, NSPCC, & Office of the Children’s Commissioner.Copy . And among teens who have seen porn, more than 79% of teens use it to learn how to have sexRobb, M.B., & Mann, S. (2023). Teens and pornography. San Francisco, CA: Common Sense.Copy . That means millions of young people are getting sex ed from violent, degrading content, which becomes their baseline understanding of intimacy. Out of the most popular porn, 33%-88% of videos contain physical aggression and nonconsensual violence-related themesFritz, N., Malic, V., Paul, B., & Zhou, Y. (2020). A descriptive analysis of the types, targets, and relative frequency of aggression in mainstream pornography. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 49(8), 3041-3053. doi:10.1007/s10508-020-01773-0Copy Bridges et al., 2010, “Aggression and Sexual Behavior in Best-Selling Pornography Videos: A Content Analysis,” Violence Against Women.Copy .
From increasing rates of loneliness, depression, and self-doubt, to distorted views of sex, reduced relationship satisfaction, and riskier sexual behavior among teens, porn is impacting individuals, relationships, and society worldwideFight the New Drug. (2024, May). Get the Facts (Series of web articles). Fight the New Drug.Copy .
This is why Fight the New Drug exists—but we can’t do it without you.
Your donation directly fuels the creation of new educational resources, including our awareness-raising videos, podcasts, research-driven articles, engaging school presentations, and digital tools that reach youth where they are: online and in school. It equips individuals, parents, educators, and youth with trustworthy resources to start the conversation.
Will you join us? We’re grateful for whatever you can give—but a recurring donation makes the biggest difference. Every dollar directly supports our vital work, and every individual we reach decreases sexual exploitation. Let’s fight for real love:
