The current strong-column weak-beam design criterion presents a single value as the acceptance limit of strength ratios for Special Moment Resisting Frames (SMRFs). However, previous research efforts have shown that the required column–beam flexural strength ratios of joints in SMRFs vary with the factors such as the height of frames. Therefore, in this paper, the multi-objective seismic design method based on nonlinear static analysis is proposed and applied to find optimal column-to-beam strength ratios required for ensuring the beam–hinge mechanism. In this formulation, the optimal method is to minimize the two objective functions of the structural weight as well as the column-to-beam strength ratio while satisfying the constraints. Based on multiple Pareto-optimal solutions with beam–hinge mechanisms, the relationship between the structural weights and optimal strength ratios is provided. Using the well-known two moment resisting example structures, instead of suggesting a specific single value as a limit for the column–beam flexural strength ratio, a common tendency is identified through investigating the relationships between optimal strength ratios and structural weights.