I have as well, and that's why I have my opinion that they aren't squalor, at least not guaranteed. I lived in one crappy apartment when I was in college because it was dirt cheap. After I got a job, I spent maybe 20-40% more on apartments up to my last one (which cost a lot more, but was in a great location for me, walking distance to my MMA gym and all my hangout spots). None of them were crappy, I rarely heard my neighbors. And the only truly obnoxious neighbors were evicted after the police were called for a combination of noise and indecent exposure (their guests went skinny dipping in the apartment pool).
I live in the suburbs now, and with regard to noise it's no better than the apartments except my first crappy apartment, and the brief time next to the obnoxious neighbors. My next door neighbors on one side are great, on the other side they're dicks and fight constantly and loudly. Across the street are two houses one with a muscle car and the other some kind of loud motorcycle, both are project vehicles. So I get to hear them revving their engines in the evening (too early to warrant filing a complaint, but still very obnoxious).
There's nothing magical about apartments that make them bad, or houses that make them good. The best you could hope for with regard to general quality of life (particularly noise and pests caused by poor hygiene from your neighbors) is to live in the country hundreds of feet (at least) from neighbors with trees in between. But then you forfeit access to everything else since nothing is close without having to drive.