The 10 most livable cities in the U.S. where costs are low, incomes are growing and there's plenty to do

You'll never be bored in New York or Los Angeles. But living in those cities is often prohibitively expensive.

If you're looking for a livable city with a lower cost of living that offers a solid work-life balance and abundant recreational opportunities, consider Portland, Maine.

Portland ranked No. 1 on RentCafe's recent list of the most livable metros in the U.S., which considered 17 different factors across three categories — socioeconomics, location and community, and quality of life — including cost of living, access to entertainment and leisure activities, income growth rate and community involvement.

Portland earned high marks for both quality of life and location and community. The city offers a wide variety of athletic facilities and health-care providers as well as higher education opportunities and high quality food, according to RentCafe.

However, Portland falls short when it comes to cost of living. It costs about 10% more on average to live in Portland compared with the rest of the U.S., RentCafe found, citing the Council for Community and Economic Research's cost of living index.

While it's not the most affordable metro area, it's far less expensive than cities like New York and Los Angeles where the cost of living is 44% and 50% higher, respectively, than the national average, per RentCafe's analysis.

Here are the 10 most livable metro areas in the U.S., according to RentCafe:

1. Portland, Maine
2. Lincoln, Nebraska
3. Des Moines, Iowa
4. Minneapolis, Minnesota
5. Ann Arbor, Michigan
6. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
7. Washington, D.C.
8. Pittsburgh
9. Green Bay, Wisconsin
10. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

RentCafe analyzed 140 U.S. metro areas with populations of at least 300,000 to determine its rankings. Notably, Asheville, North Carolina, initially took the No. 3 spot, but due to the devastating impacts of Hurricane Helene earlier this fall, RentCafe temporarily removed the metro from its rankings. 

After Portland, the next five highest-ranked metros and No. 9's Green Bay, Wisconsin, are all in the Midwest. 

Cities in this region generally scored highly on cost of living. In Lincoln, Nebraska, for example, residents enjoy a cost of living about 6% lower than the national average, RentCafe found. And in Des Moines, Iowa, expenses are 12% lower, on average, than the rest of the country.

But Portland's high quality of life may make up for the cost of living and give it an advantage in the overall rankings. There are 36 health-care providers per 10,000 people in Portland, compared with just four in Des Moines and 11 in Minneapolis, according to data RentCafe sourced from CountyHealthRankings.org.

Ultimately, the best place for you to live will come down to your personal preferences, such as if you want to live in a large city or the type of climate you enjoy. It's also important to take your budget into account and decide if somewhere more expensive is both feasible and worth it.

Want to earn more money at work? Take CNBC's new online course How to Negotiate a Higher Salary. Expert instructors will teach you the skills you need to get a bigger paycheck, including how to prepare and build your confidence, what to do and say, and how to craft a counteroffer. Start today and use coupon code EARLYBIRD for an introductory discount of 50% off through November 26, 2024.

Plus, sign up for CNBC Make It's newsletter to get tips and tricks for success at work, with money and in life.