Claim: Northeast megalopolis includes people.
Evidence: As of the year 2000 , the region contained 49.6 million people , about 17 % of the U.S. population on less than 2 % of the nation 's land area , with a population density of 931.3 people per square mile -LRB- 359.6 people/km2 -RRB- , compared to the U.S. average of 80.5 per square mile 2 -LRB- 31 people/km2 -RRB-.