TikTok vs. YouTube: Who's Actually on Each Platform — and Where Is the Money Audience?

Both TikTok and YouTube are led by 25–34-year-olds. But that's where the similarity ends. YouTube reaches 90% of US adults earning over $100,000 annually. TikTok's usage actually over-indexes among lower-income households. Advertisers pay 50 to 100 times more per thousand views on YouTube than TikTok in high-value niches. Here's what the demographic and income data actually says — and what it means for where your brand should be showing up.