he astern ▁region ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁by ▁population , ▁according ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Census ▁Bureau : ▁ ▁Metropolitan ▁Statist ical ▁Are as ▁These ▁are ▁the ▁metropol itan ▁areas ▁of ▁the ▁S out he astern ▁region ▁which ▁exceed ▁ 1   mill ion ▁in ▁population ▁according ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Census ▁Bureau ' s ▁ 2 0 1 6 ▁estimates : ▁ ▁Com b ined ▁Statist ical ▁Are as ▁Bey ond ▁Meg al opol is ▁by ▁Virginia ▁Te ch ' s ▁Metropolitan ▁Institute , ▁an ▁attempt ▁to ▁update ▁Jean ▁Gott mann ' s ▁work ▁with ▁current ▁tr ends , ▁defines ▁two ▁" m eg ap ol itan ▁areas " ▁contained ▁within ▁the ▁S out heast , ▁out ▁of ▁a ▁total ▁of ▁ten ▁such ▁areas ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States : ▁" P ied mont " ▁extending ▁from ▁North ▁Carolina ▁to ▁Alabama ▁" P en ins ula " ▁covering ▁South ▁Florida ▁and ▁Central ▁Florida ▁Two ▁others ▁tie ▁some ▁areas ▁on ▁the ▁marg ins ▁of ▁the ▁S out heast ▁to ▁urban ▁cent ers ▁in ▁other ▁regions : ▁" G ulf ▁Coast " ▁extending ▁as ▁far ▁east ▁as ▁the ▁western ▁tip ▁of ▁Florida ▁" N ortheast " ▁including ▁much ▁of ▁Maryland ▁and ▁eastern ▁Virginia ▁ ▁These ▁are ▁the ▁combined ▁statistical ▁areas ▁of ▁the ▁S out he astern ▁region ▁which ▁exceed ▁ 1   mill ion ▁in ▁population ▁according ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Census ▁Bureau ' s ▁ 2 0 1 6 ▁estimates . ▁Note ▁that ▁the ▁metropol itan ▁areas ▁of ▁T ampa ▁and ▁Richmond ▁are ▁not