Also, DStearns, I would advise you to move up to pro if you do not plan on travelling to play any of the AM1 "majors" (AM Nats/BG/Worlds). I ran the numbers for B and C-tiers in Arizona vs NC vs Illinois and here is what I found.
Average round ratings for winning pro in IL: 1006
Average round ratings for winning pro in NC: 1027
Average round ratings for winning pro in AZ: 996
Average round ratings for last cash pro in IL: 976
Average round ratings for last cash pro in NC: 990
Average round ratings for last cash pro in AZ: 957
I would play Pro too if I lived in Arizona. Good luck cashing in pro events in North Carolina.
(For those who didn't see my earlier thread I used only B and C tier tournaments to get a better sampling of regional/local pro fields and less out-of-state pros.)