> The median age of a renter is 42 years old and about half (46%) of renters are under the age of 40; only 10% of renters are in their seventies or older, and 15% are in their sixties. In other words, the age distribution of renters trends younger than the overall US population.
Which tells us exactly what the GP brought up: renters are younger than buyers.
The average mortgage is for a family, the average rent is for a broke young worker or student living in a much smaller and worse accommodation.
Renting is always more expensive than a mortgage for the same housing unit, because the landlord needs to make a profit from his tenants.
Cooking the numbers won't change reality. The truth beats all the lies, no matter how many lies.