There are no perfect places or situations.
My son is 26 years old and is building an entrepreneurial kingdom and works 14 hours a day. If he was a 9-5 salaried worker he’d be exactly what you are looking for . . . honest, upbeat, hard-working, etc.
But economics today makes a younger family almost impossible. In retrospect the cell phone was the best AND worst thing to happen to family formation. All those conveniences but also stretching the work day beyond reason.
Here’s his main business:
https://www.instagram.com/justbakedboca/
Economics is definitely a factor. They go to college and carry debt. Many go to college and also hold a job.
I didn’t go to college, I took a menial job at 18 and used the money to buy real estate. By 19 I didn’t need a job anymore, though I didn’t quit. Now in mid-20s I’ve been debt-free all the while and you could say I’m very comfortable :)
Most people my age are struggling, stressed, poorly educated despite their diplomas, and they say they can’t take on the extra responsibilities of marriage. Some of them do mean it. Some don’t.