Jyväskylän maalaiskunta was the second biggest municipality without the name kaupunki (city, town) in Finland (the largest being Nurmijärvi).

[2] Vaajakoski and Palokka started growing in the 20th century, eventually merging into the built-up area of Jyväskylä in the 1980s while still remaining parts of Jyväskylän mlk.

The European routes E63 and E75 run through Jyväskylän maalaiskunta east and north of Jyväskylä, respectively.

Likewise, the east- and westbound railway lines that leave Jyväskylä have been laid on the rural municipality's soil.

In addition to its conventional agriculture and forestry output, the municipality is home to companies such as Komas Oy, a system supplier of mechanical subassemblies, and Tikka Group, a manufacturer of studs for car winter tires (the situation as of 2006).

Historically, Vaajakoski hosted a wide range of conventional industries up until the 1980s when structural changes in Finland's economy resulted in a shutdown of many long-standing factories and mills also in Jyväskylä's rural sibling.

However, still actively operating in Vaajakoski's industrial area is the Panda chocolate and sweets factory, whose products are marketed the world over.