I'm concerned about the possibility that I'm going to become an unhappy hermit, since the area doesn't have much going on. Not many attractions, restaurants, etc. Very unlikely to find others with similar interests in computers and technology. Prevailing political views are also very different from ours. Also generally concerned about idea of living in a place where the median household income is literally 10% of what I make.
Some of the discussion in https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29959746 touched on some of these issues and particularly the post from sentientforest (not sure if there's a way on HN to @-them) that contains this bit was very insightful.
> Importing your tech worker salary to a region with few employers and less opportunity can make an impact. Tip your servers generously. Shop at local businesses. Hire local contractors and professionals. You might make a big difference. Keep in mind that your tech salary alone could easily be a few times the median household income of the region.
I'm hoping to get more of that kind of advice from people who have done this sort of thing.
Take a role in work which remains local. Join the rural fire brigade, the emergency response team (they always have non-physical labour roles if this is daunting)
Make your side-gig appropriate for the location. If it has a lot of damaged streams and gullys do the thing which plants trees and helps restore them. If you decide to market garden help restore a brownfield site. If the local store is dying on its feet, see if you can do something in the space and pay rent.
Be realistic. You can't cure cancer, you can't cure rural depression-cancer. You can't fix everything. Sometimes just being visibly engaged and listening helps.
Get in touch with the community. Have BBQs. Most people can't afford meat. If you're lazy, buy pizzas for everyone every now and then.
A cousin once bought a lamb for my wedding back when I was poorer. He buys air-conditioning for some houses with bad heat insulation, and pays for water filters in some places. That's the kind of thing that people will be grateful for.
Be careful not to look cocky though. Putting effort into things is appreciated. I've given expensive gifts, with a handwritten and drawn card. You can make nice homecooked meals (with butter instead of margarine).
There's often a mindset that with high salaries comes a lot of bad stuff (responsibility, instability, long hours, debt, tax, etc). Play up to that stereotype for those who want to believe it. There will be some people who look to you for inspiration, help them out. HNers complain a lot about the work, but honestly, many people would be happy to work twice as hard for half the pay we make now.
Introduce yourself to the neighbors. Spend time at the local bar (there's always a bar). Make an effort to connect with the people you'll interact with the most, and they'll start to connect you to the rest of the community.