The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. Two thirds of its population of 6.6 million lives in the Boston metropolitan area. The eastern half of the state consists of urban, suburban, and rural areas, while Western Massachusetts is mostly rural, except for the urbanized area along the Connecticut River Valley, surrounding its largest city, Springfield. Massachusetts is the most populous of the six New England states and ranks third among U.S. states in GDP per capita.