The Northeastern United States is a region of the United States. As defined by the U.S. Census Bureau, it covers nine states: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Delaware and Maryland are sometimes part of the Northeast census group because of their inclusion in the BosWash megalopolis but the Census Bureau includes them in the South Atlantic region.

A 2006 census estimate put the population of the region (as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau) at 54,741,353. The Northeast is bordered to the north by Canada, to the west by the Midwest, to the south by the South, and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. Its largest city, New York City, is also the largest city and metropolitan area in the United States.

The Northeast is also the richest region of the United States of America. In 2007, the U.S. Census Bureau reported that the wealthiest states in the Union were Maryland (1st), New Jersey (2nd), Connecticut (3rd), Hawaii (4th), and Massachusetts (5th)blank">http://finance.yahoo.com/real-estate/article/103432/The-Richest-(and-Poorest)-Places-in-the-U.S.?mod=oneclick

_New York state alone accounts for nearly 8% of U.S. gross domestic product as of 2005. While they rank high in income, they are predominantly small in terms of area (New York and Pennsylvania aside), with no state ranking in the top ten nationally in size. Only New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Massachusetts rank in the top 15 states in terms of population.