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Paradise, Texas
Inside Paradise's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 22% of mapped land, the 5th-highest of 12 cities in Wise County. A shallow water table limits basements on 22%, the 2nd-highest of 12 cities in Wise County.
That clay share is close to Wise County's 21%. FEMA's flood data list 2 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 76073 overlapping the city. Of its 236 homes, 36% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1987.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Wise County
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
flood losses since 2016 in 1 overlapping ZIP
of homes built before 1980
Foundation repair in Paradise
Foundation repair in Paradise: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 22% of Paradise's mapped land.
About 200 of Paradise's 236 homes are detached houses.
| Who designs the repair | The ASCE Texas Section's repair guidelines say a Texas-licensed engineer should evaluate the foundation and design the repair (2022 guidelines) |
| Prices | Cost guide ranges compared |
Soil under Paradise city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 22.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 22.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 43.1% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 22.2% |
| Mapped soil | 1,337 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Bastsil | 39% | n/a |
| Hassee | 22% | n/a |
| Windthorst | 14% | 37% |
| Duffau | 11% | n/a |
| Silawa | 5% | n/a |
| Decordova | 2% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.4% by land area here, and 22% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 22% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of Wise County is in drought on the latest map, and 22% of Paradise's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 22% of Paradise's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
Drought in Wise County
100% of Wise County is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. County detail.
Flood losses by ZIP code
FEMA flood records since 2016 in the ZIP codes that overlap Paradise. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 76073 | 100% | 2 | $105,264 |
Homes in Paradise
| Housing units | 236 |
| Median year built | 1987 |
| Built before 1980 | 36% |
| Built 2000 or later | 34% |
| Owner-occupied | 88% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $319,600 |
| Single-family detached | 86% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bridgeport | 7 mi | 38% | 12% |
| Decatur | 8 mi | 18% | under 1% |
| Boyd | 9 mi | 12% | 2% |
| Lake Bridgeport | 9 mi | 1% | 0% |
| Runaway Bay | 10 mi | 14% | under 1% |
| Chico | 12 mi | 7% | 26% |
| Aurora | 12 mi | 14% | 8% |
| Rhome | 12 mi | 30% | 1% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 5, 2026) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status