# land poor

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/land-poor
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

In a condition of poverty as a result of inability to meet tax payments or other financial requirements for one's land holdings.

## Examples

- They own a large farm but are land poor.
- Despite owning hundreds of acres of valuable property, the family is land poor and struggles to pay their monthly bills.
- The aristocrat lived in a crumbling estate, land poor and unable to afford the taxes required to maintain his ancestral legacy.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.