"However, given our weather in most places there is no need to spend the additional money to build in such a manner."
Houses are better built in most parts of Europe than is typical in the US. But that also has to do with our lack of oil and natural gas. Better insulation and thicker walls are simply cheaper over the years than the additional heating costs ;-).
I don't disagree that houses are generally better built in Europe, but they are also significantly more expensive compared to income than in the US. If you have the money, you get more in Europe than you do here, but far fewer people can own their own houses. It's a trade-off showing relative priorities.
the way houses are build is dependent on the region.
in areas where you have earthquakes, most homes are build of wood, since they give and won't crack. I live in florida, where most homes are buid with thick masonry/ I can say that European homes would not pass the building code here since they could not withstand 150
Mph winds.
In the US homes are incredibly well insulated, more than homes in Europe.
This winter, we have had several nights of - degrees celcius. We didn't have to turn on the heat since inside it never went lower than 25 degrees celsius.
There are many variables and it depends on each state's building code.