In this study seismic performance and response modification factors of rectangular reinforced concrete staggered wall system (SWS) structures were evaluated. To this end, 5, 9, 15, and 25-story SWS structural models were designed and were analyzed by pushover analysis to observe the force-displacement relationship up to failure and the location of plastic deformation. The response modification factor was computed based on the overstrength and the ductility capacities obtained from capacity envelopes. The analysis results showed that the 5- and 9-story SWS structures failed due to yielding of columns and walls located in the lower stories, whereas in the 15- and 25-story structures plastic hinges were more widely distributed throughout the stories. The response modification factors obtained by multiplying overstrength factor and ductility factor increased as the number of stories decreased.