Best state for EE jobs?

I was wondering what are some of the best states for Electrical Engineers? i.e. salary, cost of living, number of opportunies, location etc.

I am asking because my gf and i are graduating undergrad next spring and she has been looking at grad schools for her major. The problem is that her major is rare (speech and hearing sciences) and we want to be in a mild climate since we've lived in NY our whole lives.

Thus, we've narrowed it down to either:
Greensboro, NC
Columbia, SC
Charleston, SC
Gainesville, FL
Austin, TX
Jefferson City, MO

If you could explain why one city is better than the others.

Greensboro is a nice city with a good cost of living. Lots of EE opportunities there (especially in semiconductors).

Jeff City, MO is a smaller city with an excellent cost of living. Nearby Columbia, MO has made top 10 cities to live in a number of times. I don't know much about EE opportunities in Jeff City, though.

TX is generally a good place for EE jobs, though I don't know about Austin in specific.

If by mild climate, you mean no snow, only Jeff City is likely to have snow, though it won't be NY levels of snow. If by mild climate, you mean hot, nasty summers, then everywhere but Jeff City has those. Austin is less humid than the others. Generally, MO is less populated than the other states.

You should add cities in California to your list. Lots of job opportunities for both of you. Many opportunities for EE's in aerospace, power companies and others . Certainly opportunities for speech and hearing skills in medical centers. hopitals and research labs. You'r missing out if you bypass CA. Came here in 1963 from PA and never looked back.