My seat and the top of my stem are about the same height. Not that unusual as my bike is an endurance geometry. My stem has a 7 degree rise, and my bars seem to duplicate and continue that rise. I do think that I'm trying to "sit" on my saddle.
Another data point, since I started riding in July I have to stretch and extend my left arm every 15-20 minutes to relieve numbness in my hand. I was hoping that the new bike would help fix this, but it's just the same. I have no problem with my right hand, but my reaching a replacing the water bottle might provide enough of a stretch.
As a result of this numbness I am trying to keep weight off my hands (causing me to place more weight on the saddle). I touch the bars with an open hand and try not to grip the bars. I'm starting to believe that I might be approaching my fitment on my bike completely wrong.