The 10 Best Cities For Freelancers

Flickr/istolethetvMany news photographers are freelancers.

There are more than 17.7 million freelance workers in the United States, according to an annual report from MBO Partners, which tracks the freelance industry.

Freelancing offers unparalleled flexibility but also comes with the risk of not having enough work and being unable to afford health care.

NerdWallet recently did a study that determined the best cities for independent workers based on three factors: the percentage of residents with self-employment income (50% of the score), the affordability of the median rent cost (25%), and the affordability of the median health care cost (25%).

Here are NerdWallet's best cities for freelancers:

1. Los Angeles, Calif.

2. Portland, Ore.

3. Miami, Fla.

4. Austin, Texas

5. Nashville, Tenn.

6. Minneapolis, Minn.

7. Lexington, Ky.

8. Oklahoma City, Okla.

9. Seattle, Wash.

10. Lincoln, Neb.

Freelancers make up one-fifth of the construction, arts and media, personal care, and legal industries according to Census data analyzed by Economic Modeling Specialists International.

Emergent Research predicts that freelancers will comprise up to 40% of the American workforce by 2020.