Cranfield has two public houses, a football club, coffee shop, dog grooming salon, hairdressers, barbers, several take-away restaurants, two small supermarkets and two car dealerships. There is also a surgery and dentist’s practice along with a pharmacy. Cranfield has a university, three schools, three parks and a multi-use games area.

The village Post Office is now contained within the Co-op store. Previously it was on separate premises near the centre of the village. Cranfield has one of only a small number of Morgan dealerships, in addition to a Ford dealer. There are further facilities at the university campus including a Post Office and bookshop.

The local newspaper is the Cranfield Express. There is a news hyperlocal website, Cranfield and Marston Vale Chronicle, giving village information, local and national news, etc.

The Church of St Peter and St Paul has records going back at least to 1600 and is notable for its recently restored bells. Cranfield Court belonged to the Harter family. The last house was built in 1862–4 in the French Gothic style, but was later demolished.

From 1992 to 2005 the village had its own amateur dramatics society, the ‘Cranfield Players’, with many village members.