[elarkin]

I suspect that you are a minority (as you admit). My monthly student loan burden exceeds my rent burden by almost $200; my loan debt is far less than the median.

There may be a cultural factor to it as well. I don't find the need to drive everywhere like I did growing in the 90s, but I certainly don't have a ton of income left over for car and fuel (let alone even more debt for a mortgage and the other costs that entails).

My behavior is driven more by economics than culture.