Here are the different ways I've been able to find fusion cores so far:
Merchants - At least a couple merchants I've come across sell fusion cores. This currently appears to be the easiest way of obtaining cores if you have the caps.
Fusion Core Reactors - Not sure if this is the right name but they are big light green generators (like the one you use to get a fusion core in the mission where you meet Preston Garvey) and are found in many buildings throughout the Commonwealth and always give 1 fusion core. The difficulty in obtaining cores in this way varies but if you're an avid explorer you who searches every building (like me) you should have a good stockpile of cores in no time.
Power Armor - At least a couple of Power Armor suits I've come across have already had at least a partially charged core. Since you only need to power one suit at a time I make sure to take the core out of suits I'm not using. Also, if you equip a companion with power armor they will need a fusion core but don't seem to drain it so it's best to just give them one with low charge.
Sentry Bots - These guys are pretty rare and super hard to take down (the one I encountered was hit with 2 mini nukes and still had to be finished off with a laser rifle), but they drop 2 fusion cores and some other goodies. Theoretically, if they respawn somehow you could farm them for cores (albeit at a cost of ammo and stimpaks).
Random Places - I have been able to find a few cores in random containers or just lying on a table or the ground but it's very rare. High tech or military related buildings and locations seem to have a better chance but I've also found a few in people's houses. Not sure if the chance of finding cores is increased with luck or with some perk but it's definitely worth investigating.
As far as the most efficient way to get cores, I think that depends on your play style. Just exploring as many areas as I can has worked out pretty well for me; but if you're more charisma oriented then getting a deal on cores from merchants might be best, or if you're focusing on combat then tracking down sentry bots or other rare, hard-to-kill baddies could net you a good amount of cores.
As a bonus, here are also a few things you can do to extend the life of a core:
Repair Bobblehead - Found at the top of the Corvega Assembly Plant, it permanently increases the duration of your fusion cores by 10%
Nuclear Physicist Perk - With each rank it increases the duration of your fusion cores. At full rank it doubles the lifespan of your cores.
Fusion Core Reactors??? - I've heard a rumor that placing a core back into a reactor and pressing the button next to it will allow you to recharge the core. I haven't tested this myself but if true it could help alleviate the issue of finding cores in the first place.
You need to find a Power Armor Station. If you exit your power armor in front of this station, or interact with the station while wearing power armor, then using the station will give you the option to modify and repair the constituent pieces of the armor.
Sanctuary has a Power Armor Station, as well as the Red Rocket station you reach early in the game.
Best Answer
Clarify Differences Between Games
In Fallout 3 and New Vegas, power armor was abundant, but only in the hands of certain factions. Namely, the Enclave and the Brotherhood of Steel. Once you encountered the Enclave in Fallout 3, you could have easily had dozens of suits of power armor laying around, just like in Fallout 4.
The difference in Fallout 4 is that the power armor is distributed about the wasteland, and not controlled almost solely by these two organizations.
Review History
Power armor was utilized by the US army pre-war. So, anywhere the US Army could be found, including the commonwealth, should have had power armor present when the bombs fell. There are plenty of US Army installations in the Commonwealth, and these are often the places where you find the power armor.
After the war, the Brotherhood was formed by remnants of the US Army in California. They began collecting all advanced technology, including power armor. So, right after the war, there should be power armor everywhere that the US Army was, which is all over, but over time that power armor would have been collected and hoarded in any locations where the Brotherhood was active. The Brotherhood only began acting on the east coast in the last few decades prior to Fallout 4, in Washington D.C.
Brotherhood activity has only recently expanded to the Commonwealth. When the Prydwen shows up, common people can be heard asking who the Brotherhood even are. This means that they have not had time to collect pre-war technology in the area, including power armor.
As is pointed out in Fallout 4's loading screen tips, some enterprising Raider leaders have salvaged suits of power armor from the area, which has resulted in the "Raider Power Armor" that you can find in the Commonwealth. In an ideal world, from the Brotherhood's point of view, all of this power armor will eventually be collected by the Brotherhood.
Conclusion
Therefore, I think it's reasonable to conclude that power armor is more freely available in the Commonwealth because the Brotherhood hasn't gathered it all up yet.
Note: Most of the historical information referenced here can be corroborated by articles on the Nukapedia, particularly the Brotherhood of Steel page, especially the "Origins" and "Operations in the East" sections.