I generally agree but often those affordable houses are massive cheaply made McMansions (particularly in Texas).
Living in New England I'm often envious and this is probably coming from jealously but really family's of 5 don't need 6000 square feet, a pool, a 3 car garage, and 2 acres of land. You can always live like the Europeans and most of the rest of the world does and there are condos sub 300,000 in the MA suburbs.
Sure you can, but would you want to? 6000 square feet means I have a place for my hobbies, with the tools all setup so I can do something for 10 minutes if that is all the time I have for them. I like my pool, it is a lot easier to go swimming when the pool is just out your door as opposed to having to go someplace else. I like having room in my garage for my collectable car. I like having my garden close enough that I can get fresh greens on a whim.
The point is different life choices enable different lifestyles. I've seen wood workers in Europe produce beautiful things in a tiny apartment. They prove it can be done, but they don't have the space for a table saw and as a result everything they do takes longer. Even if hand tools are the goal, in the large shop you turn around and your saw bench is there, while the European has to get it out of the closet. When done the American sweeps and is done while the European counterpart has to put the bench away as well. When I'm working I want the American style shop.
Your choices may be different, that is your choice. Do not try to force other people to like your choice.
Living in New England I'm often envious and this is probably coming from jealously but really family's of 5 don't need 6000 square feet, a pool, a 3 car garage, and 2 acres of land. You can always live like the Europeans and most of the rest of the world does and there are condos sub 300,000 in the MA suburbs.