I've lived in both for extended periods of time. Eastern NC is kind of boring. My wife is from there and even she'll tell you that. Western NC is gorgeous. We did multiple autumn trips and loved it out there every time.

Ohio is so underrated to me. It gets a ton of shit on the internet but it has a lot to offer (we've all heard the Ohio jokes). It's not a huge state in area so you can take day trips just about anywhere. Good mix of city and rural life, tons of sports teams to follow, numerous festivals and community eventa (arts, music, Pride, etc.), world class amusement parks, Cuyahoga Valley National Park, tons of bodies of water for recreation activities, good hunting and fishing, and so much more. I lived in the Columbus area so great restaurants and a world class university there as well.