I don't think Miyazaki is that unnuanced. The town is a refuge for unfortunates, abused prostitutes, lepers, etc. We even see Eboshi tending to the lepers herself. It's clear she has given the people there a much better life than they were from, and that they were very grateful for it. The time they lived in wasn't pleasant at all for most humans, certainly much less than it is now, and they were doing the best they knew how. The real villains are the ones trying to steal the forest god's head in my opinion. Pure greed and ignorance. Just my take.