Here are the 5 most-read real estate stories of the year

You can imagine that many of them used the word “expensive.’’

This Somerville home sold in April for $1,725,000, making it the most expenisve home sale there yet. via MLS

This year many of the real estate stories that caught people’s attention involved high price tags and expensive home purchases – the same trends that dominated the actual real estate market in Boston and its suburbs.

Here are the five real estate stories readers loved (or hated) most on Boston.com throughout 2015.

5. Small cities in Massachusetts rank as some of the best in the United States

Personal finance site WalletHub ranked over 1,200 small cities in America (with populations between 25,000 and 100,000) using 22 different metrics. Towns in Massachusetts faired pretty well, with Northampton, Milton, and Lexington all making it into the top 30.

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4. Somerville sets new record for most expensive home sale

Back in April, a 1920 colonial home in Somerville sold for $1,725,000, making it the most expensive home sale ever in the city’s history.

Dover ranked as the most “affluent’’ town in Massachusetts, according to Boston Business Journal. – Bill Greene / Globe Staff

3. New ranking of the most and least ‘affluent’ towns in Massachusetts

Boston Business Journal defined affluence using 12 different metrics, ranking Dover as most affluent community in the state and Lawrence as the least.

2. This is the salary you need to buy a typical house in Boston

HSH.com, a mortgage and consumer loan site, looked at 27 different metro areas to find the minimum salary you would need to buy a median-priced home in each. In Boston, you need to earn $92,796.90 to afford the median home price of $449,000.

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1. Homes are getting more expensive all over Mass., but these towns have it worst

Prices continue to rise in the Bay State, but some Greater Boston suburbs are being hit extra hard, including Milton, Hingham, and Westwood.

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