Yeah, for me sharing the apartment is more of a downside either. I also only know people who enjoy it because they were friends with the other sharers before they shared an apartment.
Of course it is 'wasteful' and expensive to take up a whole housing unit to yourself, but some (most?) people (especially strangers) in the US do not make considerate room mates. Actually probably long term only family members learn to live together in harmony (probably because they have to).