I don’t have the statistics to prove one way or the other, but I personally know many who did buy a house the old fashioned way, and nobody who house-hacked.

Although it’s financially wiser, buying a multi-family (say a quad), living in one unit and renting out the rest is a challenge. You need to come up with an even larger down payment than for a single-family dwelling, figure out how to reliably find good renters, and deal with being a landlord (or lady).

It’s a real business, and if you have career aspirations in a different direction, you may not feel up for it.