Generally speaking, construction in the US is of very poor quality. Houses, even at the high end of the price scale, are invariably wood frame construction sin

Generally speaking, construction in the US is of very poor quality. Houses, even at the high end of the price scale, are invariably wood frame construction since at least the 1940s. That explains the preference for single-family housing (because noise insulation is so poor) and also the 30-year mortgage (without maintenance we are looking at a lifetime of ~ 25 years). There's also the US way of dealing with crime - you move away from it. City centers are not desirable to live in, neither are inner-ring suburbs. These two factors really explain the exurban appeal.