Well then with a lead foot, that's about what you should get.

Since I got my '04 Civic a few weeks ago, it's been averaging 35-37mpg in
70% highway, 30% city driving.  I'm not a lead foot driver, but I'm not all
that light either.  I estimate that it should get about 40mpg on long
highway-only drives.  Not sure at this point what it should get with only
city driving.

When I drive with a 'feather foot' in city driving (which is 90% of my
driving) I can manage around 28 mpg. 19-21 seems a bit low for even for
a lead foot, my mpg usually drops to 24 -25 when I drive fast. Be sure
to keep up on maintineance like air filter, oil, spark plugs, tires, to
keep your mpg's up.

According to Edmonds:

"Our tests showed that the most significant way to save gas is: you.
And we're talking massive fuel economy gains. Think you need a hybrid?
Chances are you've got hybrid-style mileage in your gas pedal foot.
Don't mash the gas when you start up. Take the long view of the road
and brake easy. This tip alone can save you unbelievable amounts of
gas."

I think that even "average" drivers use too much gas pedal when
accelerating

For lead-foot driving and AC on, that sounds about right. I'm somewhere
in the 25-28 mpg city and 32ish hwy for my '92 EX.