Lots of factors are involved in picking a place to buy a home, especially in a wildly expensive market like Greater Boston.

The annual Top Spots to Live list focuses on communities where sales prices have increased the most over the past five years. The theory being these are places where many buyers have been competing to live, driving up prices.

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Explore the list by region:

• Boston and Cambridge
• North of the city
• West of the city
• South of the city