North Carolina is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States.  The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the 50 United States. Raleigh is the state's capital and Charlotte is its largest city. The Charlotte metropolitan area, with an estimated population of 2,754,842 in 2020, is the most-populous metropolitan area in North Carolina, the 23rd-most populous in the United States, and the largest banking center in the nation after New York City. The Raleigh-Durham-Cary combined statistical area is the second-largest metropolitan area in the state and 32nd-most populous in the United States, with an estimated population of 2,043,867 in 2020, and is home to the largest research park in the United States, Research Triangle Park.